


Sacrificial Lamb: Beginning

by FullmetalFlameElric



Series: Sacrificial Lamb [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer References, Derek Has Man Pain, First Time, Human-Werewolf Relationship, Loss of Virginity, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Divorce, Scooby Gang - Freeform, Scott and Stiles are Twins, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Slayer Stiles, Unhealthy Relationships, Vampires, Werewolves, general Kate Argent warning, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-16
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-02-09 02:32:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1965624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalFlameElric/pseuds/FullmetalFlameElric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In every generation there is a chosen one... she alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer." </p><p>Stiles Stilinski knows this tale by heart, he can recite it in his sleep. He can also recite the tale of the potentials and their fight against The First. How every girl around the world with the potential to be a Slayer was awakened through magic so powerful, it encompassed the world. He knows how it ends, with the deaths of dear friends and the losses of loved ones. He knows that Sunnydale crumbled and collapsed in on itself. He knows about vampires and werewolves. The best ways to take care of demons. He knows it all by heart, it's engrained in his muscle memory, in how he moves, how he talks. It sets him apart from the rest.</p><p>But Stiles isn't a girl. He's a lone boy tossed into the world with the blood of the Slayers before him pumping though his veins. He's an anomaly. He shouldn't exist.</p><p>And yet he does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the Hellmouth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Imogenlily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imogenlily/gifts).



> So this was based on prompt 4 in Imogenlily's Sterek Plot Bunnies and Art Part 2. Now normally, when I do a prompt it's one of those quick things that turns into a short fic or a chaptered fic that doesn't get updated the fastest. This one however... omg.  
> Ok, so this thing is going to be a monster. Let me start that out now. There's going to be 5 parts to the series and 12 chapters each. I've got them outlined and such, I just have to write them and I'm working on giving myself a buffer, but since it's been forever since I posted anything, I thought I'd post the first chapter and see how it goes. It'll be a bit before the next chapter, again because of the buffer, but it'll get up. That and I'll be moving at the end of the month.  
> Anyway, a little bit about this world, Buffy is cannon. This involves the Teen Wolf characters in that setting after the events of season 7, with mentions of events from Angel as well. I will not cover the comics because I have no way of getting hold of them to read. Sad truth. Anyway, reveals will happen over time in the fic. Feel free to speculate as you please.  
> I'm really hoping this lives up to what I'm hoping. I love both the series and I only want to do right by them.  
> So yeah... that's it. That's my rant/introduction... enjoy
> 
> Also, a note! Stiles' names are pronounced:  
> Mikolaj - MIY-KowLow  
> Failbhe - fail-VAY  
> If I have the pronunciations right. They vary depending on where you go...

_“In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.”_

 

✝

 

BANG!

“Stiles! Get up!”

Cracking open an eye, the brunet in question glared at the door for a moment before he buried his head once more beneath his blue comforter. There was no way in hell he was getting up. The sky was too bright and the numbers on his freshly unpacked alarm clock were mocking him. Six a.m. was an ungodly hour to be up. Not when he’d only gone to bed two hours before hand.

Life just wasn’t fair.

“Stiles!”

Nope. He was so not moving.

“Stiles!”

Not an inch.

“STILES!”

Not a freakin centimeter.

“MIKOLAJ FAILBHE STILINSKI! GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED!”

He hit the floor, wincing at the impact with a grunt. Sometimes he hated his life.

**Sacrificial Lamb**

_Episode 1_

_Welcome to the Hellmouth_

“You ready for your first day?” Jonathan Stilinski asked, looking between his two sons and mentally cringing at the thought of setting them both loose in a new town. Especially after their last incident. Sometimes, he really wondered if he was doing right by his boys.

“I still don’t see why we had to leave San Diego.” Scott muttered, the curly headed teen stabbing his spoon into his cereal bowl and staring dismally at the mushy substance. John thought it had, at one time, been shredded wheat.

Sighing, he turned his gaze from the slightly younger twin to the elder, awkward limbed twin. Just in time to see him take a drink of milk straight from the carton. He shot him a look, Stiles pausing mid swig before lowering it and swallowing once more to give his father a deer in the headlights look.

“What?”

John just shook his head and muttered under his breath before turning to Scott once more. “We had to move because your brother decided it’d be a good idea to blow up the chem lab.”

“In my defense it could have happened to anyone!” Stiles exclaimed, flailing slightly in the background. It went ignored by his father, his brother shooting him a narrowed eyed look as if he were trying to figure the other out. 

“It could have. But you, Mikolaj, have a history of ‘it could have happened to anyone’s that’s far too recurring to ignore. Especially when your father’s on the police force.” John muttered, going about getting himself another cup of coffee.

“Well at least it got you a promotion…” Stiles tried awkwardly, lifting his lip in an awkward grimace and waving his hands about, shoulders lifting in a mockery of a shrug. His brother was thoroughly unamused. John just turned to face his son, purposefully grabbing a slice of bacon and taking a bite. “Oh- c’mon! Dad! It’s not that bad! Seriously! Think about what that’s doing to your heart-”

“The bacon’s not gonna be the thing that kills me.” John stated pointedly, almost regretting the words the second they were out of his mouth if the silence in the kitchen was anything to go by. It wasn’t common knowledge, but neither was it a mystery that Stiles had recently lost a close friend. The woman had almost been like an older sister to the teen. Even going so far as to do her best to keep him out of trouble. Claudia had been a good deputy too as John recalled. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll have a salad today at lunch to make up for it…”

Stiles just offered him a look of disbelief, crossing his arms like he knew his father was lying.

He probably did.

“Oh- just get out of here. Go. Get to school and learn something. Have a good day.” He stated, ushering the two out the door, bags over their shoulders. “Oh and Stiles…” He added, stopping the teen before he could unlock his jeep. Both looked over, Stiles cocking his head to the side. It was an action that, with Scott, made him look like a puppy. With Stiles, it just looked like a fox looking for trouble.

“Yeah, dad?”

“Behave.” 

Scott looked from their dad to his twin. Stiles just pasted on a blinding smile and saluted. “Sure thing, Daddy-o!”

Watching them climb into the jeep, John sighed heavily and shook his head. He waited till they were out of the drive before turning back into the house.

“What the hell have I just unleashed on this poor town?”

 

✝

 

“Jackson, I don’t understand how this is so difficult for you.” Lydia Martin stated, flipping her strawberry blond locks over her shoulder and giving the blond teen before an unamused look. Annoyance flashed in his blue eyes and he set his jaw. He refused to give in this time. Refused!

“Lydia, we watch that movie every. Single. Time. Every date! I have it memorised and could recite it in my sleep!” Jackson complained, waving his hands around slightly. Behind him, Danny rolled his eyes and continued to dig out the books from his locker. This was nothing new to him and he knew exactly how this would end.

“We watch it because it’s a romantic movie, Jackson.” Lydia snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest and setting her stance.

“Give it up, Jackson. You’re not gonna win this one.” Danny muttered, shutting his locker door and turning back to the hall only to freeze.

Well damn.

“I swear to god, Scott. Every school is the same. They’ve gotta be. Same stale smell. Same soul crushing oppression hanging in the air. I can feel my freedom shriveling up and dying.” A gangly brunet was stated, walking down the hall beside a darker haired teen. The second, Scott as Danny guessed, just quirked the corner of his mouth in a small smile and shook his head.

“Stop being so dramatic, Stiles. Just remember not to blow up the chemistry lab and we’ll be good.”

“That was once!” The first teen, Stiles, exclaimed.

Danny was entranced.

“Lydia we are not! Danny back me up here- Danny?” Jackson asked, turning when he got no response only to see his best friend making his way over to two new students he didn’t recognise. 

Oh god he knew that look.

“Scott, I’m telling you, this sucks.” Stiles muttered, stopping in the middle of the hall to face his brother. “And not in the ‘me sucky sucky long time’ kinda way.”

“Hi!”

“WH-OAH MY GAWD~!” Stiles screeched, flailing his arms and jumping to face the source of the new voice. He was greeted by one of the most handsome smiles he’d ever had the pleasure of witnessing. “Oh… Uh… hi….”

“Hi. My name’s Danny.” Tall and handsome stated, holding out a hand for. Stiles just stared, mouth slightly open for a second before he snapped out of it and shook the other teen’s hand.

“Stiles! My name- it’s Stiles.” He stuttered out, stumbling over his words. Behind him, Scott lifted a brow and stared at his twin in silent amusement.

“What the hell is a Stiles?” A girl’s voice sounded, a strawberry blond turning to them and looking the two new students over. 

“Uh that would be me. I’m a Stiles.” The teen in question stated, raising his hand. She eyed him for a moment.

“I’m Lydia. This is my boyfriend, Jackson. And you seem to have already met Danny. Who’s your friend?”

“Uh- oh! My brother! Scott.”

“Gee. Thanks for forgetting about me.” Scott teased, nudging his twin and chuckling at the indignant squawk he received for his efforts. Sure that his brother was drowning in self embarrassment, Scott turned to the three teens before them and offered a bright smile. “Sorry about Stiles. We might be twins, but-”

“Polar opposites we are?” Stiles added, clapping Scott on the back and accepting that he would never be cool. Danny quirked a smile in response while Lydia just narrowed her eyes in thought and seized the two up.

“Where are you from?” She asked, tilting her head.

“San Diego.” Stiles replied, nodding once before bobbing his head a few times.

“San Diego? Why the hell did you leave?” Jackson scoffed. He looked between the twins like they were insane for having left there for here. Stiles couldn’t help but agree. 

Scott just frowned and looked at his twin. “Stiles has a vendetta against the subject of chemistry.”

“Forget you. I’m going to class.” Stiles grumbled, turning to leave. Danny fidgeted before hurrying after him.

“What class do you have?”

Glancing up, Stiles thought over his schedule for a moment. “English.”

Danny’s grin widened and he took the teen’s hand. “I’ll show you where it is.”

From down the hall, the other three watched on. Jackson groaned and let his head fall back on his shoulders. Beside him, Lydia smirked. Scott just look on, mouth open in shock.

“Damn it.. We’re stuck with them now, aren’t we?” Jackson moaned. Lydia just patted his chest.

“Of course we are. Danny’s taken a liking to Stiles. Scott, come with us. We’ll show you to your class.”

 

✝

 

Taking his seat in English, Stiles soon found that he was right. He was going to hate it here. Not only were they just beginning Kafka's “Metamorphosis”, but he’d already read that and nearly every book on this list the previous school year. Beside him, he could feel Danny getting settled into his desk and getting his books out. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching him.

Shifting in his seat, Stiles looked around the classroom. Students were filing into their seats, getting ready for class to begin and taking the their last few moments of freedom to gossip as they pleased. But there was one student that stuck out. She was seated near the back, brown eyes focused directly in him from behind chocolate curls. When she saw him looking, she just met his gaze and held it.

A chill ran down Stiles’ spine and he turned back towards the front of the room. He glanced around a bit, unsure before he gently nudged the teen beside him.

“Danny.”

The teen in question looked up and smiled at him. “Yeah?”

“Who’s that girl over there?” Stiles asked, glancing back towards her so Danny could see who he was talking about.

Following his gaze, Danny lifted a brow and looked back to Stiles. “Her? That’s Allison Argent. She’s captain of the archery team. Why?”

“Nothing… she just… was staring at me for a moment.”

“She likes to get a feel for new students. She’s a sweet person though. Disney princess smile and everything.” Danny explained, an easy going smile in place.

“I’ll keep that in mind…” Stiles muttered, nodding before he turned back to the front of the room as the teacher entered.

It was boring as he’d expected. Everytime the teacher asked him a question, he had the answer ready without having to look at his book. He could only hope the rest of his classes were nothing like this. If so, he’d probably bash his head in against his desk. It’d be much easier than the torture of having to relive his entire sophomore year as a junior.

Still, he managed to survive the end of class. Danny had been a silent companion through the entire thing and Stiles had taken a liking to him well enough. He was cute too and that was definitely a plus. He wasn’t used to guys hitting on him and Danny certainly seemed interested. It was a nice change from San Diego, one of the very few if he was honest. Danny’s presence and the dull lecture had lulled Stiles into an almost half awake state.

It really shouldn’t have been a surprise that he was snapped out of it so suddenly by a hand on his shoulder.

With a yelp, he flailed and spun around to face the owner of said hand.

And came face to face with Allison Argent. Disney princess smile and all.

“Whoa! Hi! Uh…”

“Stiles, right?” She asked, tossing her bangs out of her face and offering a toothy, blinding smile that reached her eyes. Ok, so she didn’t seem so bad to Stiles. Still, he knew better than anything that pretty things were often dangerous.

“Yeah..?”

“Great!” she stated, shifting her bag strap higher up onto her shoulder. “That means I’ve got the right person. My dad’s the librarian here and he wanted me to see when your free period was. He wants to get you logged into the system as soon as possible so you can check out books for some assignments coming up in the next week.”

“Oh!” Stiles stated, catching on and smiling in return. “Y-yeah, sure. Uh it’s-” he paused to fumble through his bag for his schedule. Finally retrieving it, he looked it over before looking back up. “Third period.”

Her smile widened. “Same as mine. What class do you have before that?”

“Algebra II.”

“I’m right next door in Calc so I can meet you after class and walk with you to the library?”

Relaxing, Stiles nodded. “Sure! Sounds like a plan!”

“Great! I’ll see you then!” Allison stated, making her way towards the door. She looked over her shoulder, flashed him another blinding smile, and left.

“See?” Danny stated, shouldering his own bag. “Disney. Princess.”

 

✝

 

The library was at the far end of the school, residing in its own wing of computer labs and book stacks. Tables lined the center floor and there was a smaller second level that wrapped around the entire library that held more books than the first. The shelves reached up as high as the veiling, a large glass top covering most of it in an effort to let light in. Unsurprisingly there was no there to be seen.

“Figures, the internet killed the book industry..” Stiles muttered as he made his way further in, looking around. “Hello?” He called. No one answered and he stepped further into the room, running his fingers over the spines of books and scanning their titles. There was a wide selection, one that he could find himself enjoying if he were ever given the choice to. Some titles he recognized. Others he made a mental note to look for later to check out and read. One, though, caught his eye. _Malleus Maleficarum_? He stopped, eyes zeroing in on the familiar text. He reached out, fingers just grazing the spine of the beaten book.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. Can I help you?” A man’s voice spoke up from behind. Yelping, Stiles snatched his hand back and spun around, directly into a table. He knocked a small stack of books over, his bag falling down his shoulder and into the crook of his elbow, jarring him off balance even further. It brought him to the floor in a tangle of limbs, books, and bag.

Above him, a middle aged man looked down at him with a pair of amused grey blue eyes. His hair was going gray, but for the most part, he looked rather young, as if he’d aged well over the years.

“Are you alright?” He asked, lifting a brow.

Slowly, Stiles got up from his sprawled position on the floor and quickly gathered up the books. “Yeah…” he muttered, dusting himself off. “Nothing I’m not used to.” He added. Grabbing his bag, Stiles slung it over his shoulder once more. “You the librarian?”

Still thoroughly amused, the man nodded. “Yes. Chris Argent. Feel free to call me Chris.”

“Chris.” Stiles muttered, looking him up and down before nodding once. “I’m Stiles Stilinski. Your daughter, Allison, said I had to come in and be processed into the school system?”

At the mention of his last name, Chris’ eyes widened for a split second before his amusement was gone. He just nodded. “Among other things..” he added, nodding his head for the teen to follow him and leading the way into his office.

Inside, Stiles knew there was a desk under there somewhere. Drawings and old wood prints were scattered over the old oak surface, aged books piling high and hiding the laptop secured protectively at the center of all the chaos. The teen looked them over from the corner of his eye before reaching out and snagging one specific book. “Where did you get this?” He asked, turning and holding up _The Slayer’s Handbook_ accusingly.

“What do you mean-?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, this isn’t just a bit of light reading nor is it for sale. Where. Did. You. Get. This?” he dropped his voice then, narrowing his eyes on the other man challengingly. He could take him. Scrawny he may be, but he could easily take this guy.

Chris’ smile returned, this one softer and more knowing. “I’ve been waiting here for you since the beginning of the year…” He finally answered.

Frowning, Stiles took a wary step back from the man. “Waiting for me?”

“The Council sent me here to… help you out.”

“The council.” Stiles muttered, eying the man up and down carefully before he glared. “You’re a Watcher?”

Chris just smiled still, nodding once. “Your Watcher to be exact.”

Stiles’ expression closed off in seconds and he slammed the book on the desk, cracking the wood. “I have a Watcher.” He snarled, turning on his heel and walking out of the office. He could hear Chris following him, walking a little quicker to catch up.

“Stiles, please-”

“No!” Stiles snapped, whirling around and grabbing Chris’ outstretched arm. He pivoted and slammed him chest first into a wall, wrenching his arm up behind his back. “No! I had a Watcher! I don’t need a new one! And I don’t want a new one! I’m fine on my own!” The teen hissed, giving the arm one more violent jerk up before shoving him against the wall once more and leaving the library, doors slamming behind him.

 

✝

 

The rest of school passed in a blur. Stiles did everything he could to avoid drawing attention to himself and so far he hadn’t run into either of the Argents or been called the Principal’s office. All in all, he considered it a win. By the end of the day, he was tired and eager to head home. After all, it was Thursday. He had homework to get done before the weekend and a background check to run on a certain family.

Scott was already waiting for him by the jeep when he got there. His twin had a dopey smile on his face and Stiles couldn’t help but smile for him as well.

“Good day?” he asked, getting into the jeep and firing up the engine. If possible, Scott’s smile grew wider and even dreamier.

“I met the girl of my dreams today…” He sighed, flopping back into his seat and letting his head roll back onto the headrest.

Stiles just eyed him and lifted a brow. “Right. That’s great, buddy. What’s her name?” He was a good brother, ok? He may not be all that eager to deal with one of Scott’s crushes - because they were big and epic, ok? - but he could still let the guy talk. Even if he was ignoring most of the conversation and focusing on driving instead.

“Allison Argent…” Scott stated dreamily.

Stiles slammed on the breaks. 

They jerked forward in their seats and horns blared behind them. Turning to his twin, Scott frowned. “The hell, man?”

“S-sorry. I uh… I thought someone was stepping out in front of me. My bad…” Stiles muttered, driving off once more and getting onto the road to home.

“Ok…” Scott hummed, still looking dazed before he seemed to remember something. “Oh! I’m thinking of going out for the Lacrosse team! You gonna try out too?”

Stiles glanced over at his twin, the guy smiling hopefully at him. “Oh… uh, I don’t know… I kinda want to just focus on studying this year, ya know? But… I’ll think about it.” He promised, having seen the beginnings of his brother’s hope diminish. The smile returned once more, and Scott nodded.

“Ok! Will you at least promise you’ll be there to cheer me on?”

Smiling, Stiles nodded. “Yeah. That I can promise.”

 

✝

 

“How’d the first day of school go?” It was the voice that greeted them upon returning home that day. The teens stumbled into the house, dropping their bags in the entryway before staggering their way into the kitchen to raid the fridge. John just watched the two of them and chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh the wonders of teens…”

“Hey, dad.” Stiles muttered from around a mouthful of cookies he’d begun to consume. He didn’t bother to look up from his search for food. From across the kitchen, Scott just grunted his greeting.

“Am I ever going to get an answer?” John asked, watching them move around the kitchen as they continued their grazing search for food.

“It was good.” Stiles muttered.

Scott nodded and dropped into a seat beside their dad and continued to munch happily on the bowl of cereal he’d poured himself. “I might actually get good grades here. Oh! I was thinking of trying out for the Lacrosse team!” He added, a few half chewed bits of cereal flying from his mouth.

John grimaced and brushed a few crumbs off the countertop. “Right. Well that’s good. How about you, Stiles? Thinking of trying out?”

“Scott wants me to.” Stiles muttered, shrugging and taking a bite of his sandwich. “I’m not so sure. It’s not really my sport.” He muttered.

“Why not go out for the team again?” John suggested, eying the lanky teen. Scott even turned to look at him.

“I don’t know..”

“Oh come on, Stiles! You could have gone to nationals with how good you are!” Scott pleaded, nearly knocking over his bowl. Stiles just cast his twin a side eyed look.

“I’ll think about it.”

“You won medals!”

“I’ll think about it!” Stiles cried, exasperated. “My gawd! I’m going to go do homework.” he muttered, getting up and going to his room.

He trudged back in a moment later to retrieve his sandwich before stomping off once more.

Shaking his head, John sighed and looked to his second son. “Boy are we lucky the world doesn’t rely on him for its well being. Kid would forget his head if it weren’t attached to his neck.”

 

✝

 

It was easy to sit and enjoy the quiet of Beacon Hills at night. It was a lot quieter than San Diego, almost comforting. There weren’t the same sounds of a city breathing around him. Just an eerie calm that seemed to blanket the town. It made something in Stiles relax as he made his way quietly down the street. He could never take the time to just think when he was back in the city. It was too loud. Too busy. But now…

He could hear every shift in the air, every rustle of leaves, the swaying of blades of grass. He could feel eyes on him.

“You know you’re not as stealthy as you think…” Stiles muttered, stopping his slow walk down the street. To his left, the cemetery stood still and dark. The street to his right was dimly lit with the reflection of streetlights on the rain damp road. It cast nothing more than a dull orange glow onto Stiles’ skin, but it was enough.

“I wasn’t exactly trying to be…” A man’s voice responded, a few quiet steps sounding from behind the teen. Stiles just lifted his head a bit, tilting it to the side to hear behind himself better.

“You know most people don’t follow teenagers alone in the dark.”

“Most teenagers don’t circle cemeteries alone in the dark.”

Touché.

Turning, Stiles crossed his arms over his chest only to stop as his gaze landed on the man following him. It was as if he’d just been punched in the gut, the air being forced from his lungs as he stared back at a pair of hauntingly green eyes.

The man was definitely striking. He had a strong jaw line with sharp cheekbones. Dark stubble dusted over his skin, emphasizing his jaw line and leading up to messily styled black hair. A leather jacket was draped over his shoulders, chest hugged in a tight olive green henley that easily showed off his muscular build. But it was those eyes that kept dragging Stiles’ gaze back. They were stunning, absolutely captivating. And if Stiles hadn’t been looking, he’d have missed them flash blue as a car drove by, the headlights reflecting light back off those shocking eyes.

The hair on the back of Stiles’ neck rose and he took a small step back. “What the hell do you want” He growled, watching the man closely now, waiting for an attack.

“Nothing.” The man took a step forward.

“Don’t lie to me, wolf!”

He halted here, bringing his hands from his pockets and raising them in a show of peace. “I’m a friend…. Just wanted to see the new Slayer in town. That’s all.”

Stiles narrowed his eye, not trusting the words. “Who are you?”

“No one of consequence…”

“Last warning.”

“Derek!” A woman’s voice snapped, a pair of red eyes flashing from the shadows further down. The man’s head snapped in her direction, eyes flashing blue in response before he turned back to Stiles.

He looked him up and down once more before taking a step away. “We’ll be in touch…” He stated, dipping his head once in farewell. “Slayer.” he added before leaving.

Stiles stared after him for a long moment, watching as the man melted into the shadows. 

 

✝

 

“Dude, where were you last night?” Scott asked as they made their way down the hall of the high school. Around them, students milled around talking while they still had free time before the first bell. It was loud in a way that disturbed the little peace Stiles had gotten the night before. This town was so loud during the day, but at night it felt dead.

It was unsettling.

“I mean, you’re lucky dad was called out to the station. Or you coulda been in trouble. You know he doesn’t like it when we wander around too late at night.” Scott continued, ignoring the way Stiles tiredly ran a hand over his face.

“I was out walking… wanted to get used to the new town, ya know?” Stiles muttered.

“Well you shouldn’t be out alone. There’s dangerous people out. Even here.”

Oh if only Scott knew, Stiles found himself thinking, casting his twin a look as the other walked ahead some. He turned his gaze ahead, spotting Chris Argent in the crowd. The librarian was making his way down the hall towards the library, a stack of books in his hands. The sudden memory of green eyes flashing blue darted through his mind and Stiles knew what he needed to do.

So much for getting a break.

“Yeah… Got it. Hey, Scotty? I’ll see you at lunch, ok?” Stiles muttered, patting his brother’s shoulder and stepping around him.

“Wait- what? Stiles-”

“I have to stop at the library!” Stiles called, hurrying down the hall and waving once over his shoulder. Behind him, Scott frowned after him confused. He didn’t pay him any mind though, as he darted into the library before the doors had closed.

Ahead of him, Chris spun around in surprise. The pile of books teetered for a second before toppling over. Still moving, Stiles darted in and caught the falling books, scooping them up and slamming them onto the counter beside him before turning to fix his gaze on the elder man.

“Why the hell didn’t you say there was a werewolf pack here?”

Chris took a moment to blink at him before he managed to find his voice. “You didn’t ask.”

“I didn’t-” Stiles started before glaring and slamming his hand down on the counter. The wood splintered slightly under the force, Chris dropping his gaze to look down at it almost bored.

“That was mahogany…”

“I’m the Slayer! I need to know this!” Stiles snapped, continuing to plow on in his anger.

Chris just fixed him with an unamused look and snorted. “Correction. You’re _a_ Slayer. The whole ‘there can only be one’ ended with-”

“Buffy. I know. You still should have told me.”

The elder man just shrugged and crossed his arms. “And what would you have done? I thought you didn’t want my help?”

“I don’t.” Stiles replied petulantly.

Chris just shrugged. “Well I guess we’ve got a problem then….”

Narrowing his eyes, Stiles set his jaw. “Yeah. We do. You’re going to tell me everything that’s going on in this town.”

“If you want that information, we’re doing things my way. And that means you report to me, we follow the handbook, and you train once a day with me or in an activity of my approval.”

Stiles’ glare darkened. “You’re not my dad.”

“No. I’m your Watcher. So we either do things by my rules or I can have you replaced with another Slayer. How’s that sound?”

Stiles fell silent for a moment, clearly biting his tongue. There was no way he was letting someone else onto his turf now that he was here. This was his territory. He didn’t need some greenhorn coming in and making a mess of things. At least this way he knew things were getting done. Just meant he’d have to keep a few things quiet from Argent.

“Fine. I’ll play. Now tell me about the pack.”

Chris eyed him a moment before nodding and motioning for him to follow into the office. Once there, he began to dig around the desk before pulling out a thick book, a large celtic wolf imprinted onto the cover. It had faded on the green leather over time, but the gold leaf was still thick and new looking in areas.

“Who did you talk to?”

“He had blue eyes. His alpha called him Derek.” Stiles muttered, looking over the man’s shoulder as he opened the book and flipped through a few pages. Chris just hummed and finally settled on a page titled “HALE”. He pointed to a picture half way down.

“That him?”

Looking, Stiles felt the same breathlessness he did when he first laid eyes on the wolf. Those same green eyes… “Yeah. That’s him.”

“Derek Hale. He and his sister Laura are the only surviving members of their family after a fire killed the rest. They’ve been back and forth between here and New York a few times. So far they’ve been quiet and haven’t caused a problem. For now just keep an eye on them.” Chris stated, flipping the book closed.

Stiles scowled and looked at the man. “That’s it?” He asked in disbelief. “Just ‘keep an eye on them’?”

Turning, Chris fixed a serious look on the Slayer. “Yes. Keep. An eye. On. Them. Any questions?”

“Yeah. Can you taste the stick that’s stuck up your ass? Or is it still working it’s way up?”

Scowling, Chris shoved him towards the door. “Get to class and come straight back here after school. We’re gonna talk about patrol tonight.”

“What?! But-”

The door slammed in his face.

“Crotchety old bastard!”

 

✝

 

Stiles couldn’t focus. The entire day had been spent in a blur of swirling thoughts, twitching, fidgeting, and frustrated grumbling for the teen. Scott had taken to giving him odd looks and Danny had even been watching him concerned. Currently, the group at the lunch table were awkwardly sitting and eating their lunches while Stiles brooded in his small section of the round table. The clatter of Jackson taking his seat startled him out of his thoughts and Lydia cast him a disapproving look.

“Must you be so loud?” she asked, taking a bite of her salad.

Jackson just shrugged. “Not my fault. Anyway, guess what I just heard. They’re closing The Jungle for the weekend.”

Danny sat up straight, eyes wide. “What? Why?!”

“What’s The Jungle?” Scott asked, frowning in confusion as he looked between the three teens. Lydia turned to address him.

“It’s a gay club here in Beacon Hills. It’s also the major teen hangout in town because they’re relaxed on their carding and also have a good kitchen that serves food and coffees until ten at night. They get live bands every few nights a week.” She explained before looking back to Jackson. “Why is it closed?”

“They found a body.”

“A body?” Stiles asked, lifting his head and focusing on the conversation now. Something in his gut churned uneasily. Something about this didn’t sit right with him.

“Yeah. They found a body in one of the private rooms. One of the workers. And that’s not the odd part.” Jackson stated, smirking. Why the hell would anyone smirk at a time like this? Was he stupid? Stiles found himself wondering before his attention was drawn away once more.

“What’s stranger than a murder in Beacon Hills?” Danny dead panned. “Dude, nothing happens here.”

“There was no blood at the crime scene.” Stiles swallowed thickly and pressed his head into his hands, the four around him ignoring him in favor of their conversation.

“So? It could have been poison or an allergic reaction.” Lydia rationalized. Stiles’ blood ran cold.  
Allergic reaction. Right. There was a grain of truth to it, but not the kind she was thinking.

“That’s just it. There wasn’t any blood at the crime scene or in the victim…”

Stiles’ shoulders drooped and he bit back a groan. He wasn’t going to be getting any sleep tonight. He knew it.

“What? You mean like drained?” Lydia asked, brow furrowing now in thought. 

Danny just looked sick. “Oh god… that’s disgusting.”

“Tell me about it!” Jackson laughed, stabbing at his food, spearing a piece of chicken and taking a bite. Stiles just traced the motion, his gaze stuck on the teeth showing through the other’s smirk. Swallowing, he pushed back from his spot and stood.

“Stiles?”

“I uh… I need to go check out some books… See you guys later.” He muttered, darting out of the cafeteria and leaving the four sitting in confusion.

Watching his retreating back, Lydia looked to Scott in silent question. “Is he feeling ok?”

“I think so? I’m guessing he just forgot to take his adderall….” He muttered, staring after his brother for a moment before Jackson snagged his attention. “Plus, he doesn’t do well around blood. And guts make him squeamish…”

“Whatever. Look, who’s gonna go with me and take a look around The Jungle later tonight?” He asked, taking another bite of his food. Danny nearly choked.

“Are you nuts?! Jackson that place is going to be crawling with security!”

“So? My dad can bail us out if anything happens. And it won’t. Come on. It’ll be fun. We can poke around and see if we find anything.” Jackson replied, nudging his best friend in the shoulder before looking to Lydia. “Unless you’re too scared?”

The young woman frowned, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I’m driving.”

“You too?” Danny groaned. “Damn it. Fine. Someone’s gotta make sure you two don’t do anything stupid.”

“Excuse me!” Lydia protested. Danny shot her a look.

“You fall for every one of Jackson’s challenges, Lydia. You need a babysitter just as much as he does.”

Huffing, she crossed her arms and sat back in her seat. “Fine…. You coming, Scott?”

“Uh..” Scott started nervously. “No. I better not. My dad’s the sheriff so…”

“No worries, man. We’ll call you in case something happens?” Danny asked, tilting his head.

Nodding, Scott relaxed a bit. “Yeah. I can run interference if you guys need me to, but it’s best I not be there.”

“Great! So we’ll head over at sunset.”

 

✝

 

Shoving the doors to the library open, Stiles stumbled to a stop. Chris’ name died on his lips as he took in the sight before him. At the main table, Allison stood, a cross bow in his grip and a quiver of arrows resting on the table top at her hip. In front of her, Chris was adjusting the sights. Both had stopped as Stiles burst into the room, the three sharing a mixture of shocked and awkward looks as the doors swung quietly shut behind the Slayer standing in the door.

“Uh…” Allison started awkwardly, glancing down at the crossbow before trying to hide it behind her back.

Once more in his element, Stiles just straightened up and let his shoulders relax. “You forgot the giant quiver next to you…” The girl blushed and Chris let out a huff of amusement.

“Did you need something, Stiles?”

“What exactly were you going to do if it hadn’t been me that walked in on that?” The teen asked, making his way over and picking up a tomahawk. He spun it around his hand a few times to test the balance before Chris snatched it from his grip and gave him a disapproving look. “What? It’s a valid question!”

“No one ever comes in here outside of mandatory class time.” Allison muttered, setting the crossbow on the table and leaning against the wooden surface and crossing her arms.

Stiles just shrugged. “So…. I’ve got news.”

“What?” Chris asked, packing up the gear on the table. He didn’t even bother to look up to ask.

Rude.

“There was a body found at The Jungle today… drained of blood…”

Chris stopped mid clean up and lifted his gaze to Stiles. “How did you find out?”

“Friend of mine was talking about it at lunch… I was thinking of going there later tonight to take a look. See if I find anyone hanging around.” Stiles replied, shrugging a bit and looking around the library. Chris studied him for a long moment before nodding.

“Fine. But take Allison with you. She knows the area.”

“Wha-”

“It’s fine, Stiles. He just wants to know there’s a second pair of eyes. It’s been a while since we’ve had a vampire here.” Allison eased, keeping her tone calm.

Stiles eyed her up for a moment before sighing. “You know how to use that thing?” he asked, nodding to the crossbow.

“Yeah. Nationally ranked champion at archery when I was a kid.”

Shaking his head, Stiles shrugged. “Alright then. We’ll head out just a little after sundown. My dad asks, I’m studying at yours.”

“Be smart out there tonight.”

“We know, Dad.”

 

✝

 

“Remember to not stay out too late tonight.” John muttered, grabbing his jacket and gun from where he’d set them on the dinner table. He was already running a little late to get to his shift and he needed to get out the door.

“I know, dad. And I know to avoid dark alleys and what not. I’m just going to a friend’s house to study with the help of her teacher father.” Stiles muttered, tying his shoes once more and grabbing a jacket of his own. He could feel his pockets heavy with sharpened stakes and made sure to stuff his hands into them so they wouldn’t shift around while he waked passed his dad. The sheriff just sighed and looked back to his other son.

“No wild parties…”

“I know, dad! Just gonna sit here and game.”

“Just remember to get up and eat something healthy… and move from time to time…” He stated before tossing out a quick “love you” and leaving. The twins returned the sentiment before Stiles turned to Scott.

“I’ll be home later. Call me if you need anything.”

“See ya!”

Stiles just waved and left, shutting the door behind him. He made sure his dad was gone before he started on his way towards The Jungle. He followed the instructions Allison had given him, making his way down the darkened streets as dusk dipped away into night.

Allison was already waiting for him just a block away from their destination. She looked up as he approached and pulled the knitted hat further down her head as she smiled in greeting. “Ready?” she asked, falling into step beside him.

“I’m not used to working with others.”

“I know. My dad’s a little… paranoid. Just prove you can handle yourself and he’ll give you a little more length to work with.”

“You make it sound like he’s actually managed to get me on the leash.” Stiles muttered, clearly amused.

Allison studied him a second before laughing once. “You’re totally letting him think he won, aren’t you?”

“Gonna rat me out?”

“Hell no. I have to see who wins this one.”

“Right…” Stiles snorted, shaking his head and continuing down the sidewalk. He took his time, completely unaware that inside The Jungle, three familiar faces were well into their snooping.

 

✝

 

“This is stupid, Jackson. Let’s go.” Danny muttered, looking around the darkened building. Something didn’t feel right and it sent a shiver up his spine. Beside him, Lydia gripped his hand and looked over her shoulder nervously.

“Hell no. We just got here.” Jackson scoffed, continuing further into the building.

“Danny’s right, Jackson. We shouldn’t be here.”

“Please. Not you too-” Jackson paused, looking around them with a frown on his face. “Did you guys hear that?” He asked. Danny twitched and looked deeper into the dark corners of the building. “It sounded like a growl.”

“...Ok… I think now’s a good time to leave.” Lydia whispered, shaking and gripping Danny’s arm in a death grip.

“Aww… but the fun’s just starting….” A woman purred, eyes flashing gold before she stepped out of the shadows. Her face was contorted into an animalistic snarl with a pronounced brow ridge that almost appeared feline. Fangs protruded from her upper lip, a vicious smile the most frightening part of her appearance. “Why not stay for a bite?”

Lydia screamed.

“Hey! Ugly!” A second voice shouted, the door slamming open and bouncing off the wall before it fell off its hinges to the floor.

“You know you’re going to have to fix that.” A girl’s voice. Lydia frowned. Was that Allison?

“Hush. You’re ruining my badass entrance.”

“Stiles?” Danny muttered, confused as well as terrified. What the hell would he be doing here? And with Allison of all people?

“And who’s this? A friend of yours come for dinner?” The woman purred, smirking as she stepped closer to the group once more. Lydia squeaked and backed into the two boys beside her, forcing them backwards and into a wall.

“How about an appetizer first?” Stiles called out, pulling a sharpened piece of wood from his pocket and spinning it around his hand once.

“What the hell is he doing?!” Lydia cried, staring in horror as the woman turned her attention to him before making her way over. Behind her, Jackson whimpered and put Danny between himself the scene before them, letting his friend act as a shield.

“Well well, someone’s got guts.” She purred. “What’s a stupid human like you threatening someone like me? Do you even know what I am-”

“Spare me the talk. Can we skip to the part where I stab you and you turn into a pile of dust? Cause I’ve got somewhere I have to be.” Stiles drawled, looking utterly bored with the situation. Behind him, Allison cast him a look of disbelief.

Frowning, the woman snarled and lunged, Stiles moving to grab her and throw her against a wall. He landed a punch before she kicked him backwards into a nearby bar top. The teen grunted before righting himself once more and spinning in a roundhouse kick. It landed square in her chest and forced her backwards into the wall once more. Seeing his opportunity, he brought the stake up and forced it through her ribcage and into her heart.

The woman froze for a second before gasping once. The next thing the three teens knew, the woman burst into dust and scattered to the floor. It happened so fast the three huddled against the wall could barely keep up with it, let alone believe what they’d really just witnessed.

It was silent for a moment as Stiles straightened up and dusted the remains off his jacket. He made a face, Allison stepping over to him.

“Nice work.” she muttered, tilting her head. “Next time, don’t play around?” Stiles just sent her a look as if questioning her sanity as he wiggled his nose. “My god, we’re doomed if you’re our only defence.” She muttered, shaking her head. Stiles just continued to ignore her, testing the sharpness of his stake before pocketing it once more.

“What. The hell. Was that?” Lydia finally managed to get out, drawing Allison’s attention. Danny was gripping her arms tightly, his normally tanned skin now pale and almost white. Jackson was shaking, a sweat having broken out in his fit of panic.

Turning to Stiles, Allison sighed before looking back to them. “Uh…. “ She looked back to Stiles, the other three following her gaze to where the gangly teen had nose scrunched up in a look of annoyance. “Stiles?”

His only response was to sneeze.


	2. Tools of the Trade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris starts cracking down on Stiles' training and Scott starts to worry about Stiles' lack of free time and where he's wandering off to. Meanwhile, half a body shows up in the preserve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken longer than I expected. I moved and then started two jobs so getting on the computer to write has been interesting. I'm going to start the third chapter in the next few days so I hope to have that out in the next month. Fingers crossed. I'm bad at schedules, so it's a rough estimate. But once I get the ball rolling I'm hoping to get chapters out faster.

A sharp shriek of terror broke the still of the preserve as the woman stumbled her way through the trees. Her feet, bare and bleeding, caught on roots and upturned leaves. It made her louder than her heavy breathing could have. And whatever was following her knew it.

She looked back towards the shadows, blond hair flying into her eyes and blinding her for a moment.

Red eyes flared from the shadows. The figure behind her lunged, jaws snapping at her heels. A clawed hand shot out and tore at her leg, taking her down and pinning her to the ground with its weight.

Her scream cut off with a gurgle, the trees the only witness.

**Sacrificial Lamb**

_Episode 2_

_Tools of the Trade_

“The Slayer…” Lydia muttered, tone flat as she stared at the two teens across from her trio. From their spot on the Argent’s loveseat, Stiles and Allison shifted and looked to opposite sides of the room guiltily.

“Actually _a_ Slayer…” Stiles corrected, lifting his gaze to the strawberry blonde and doing his best to meet her eyes. It was like being stared down by a snarling bear. “There’s a bunch of us now. I mean there used to be one, and then this girl, Buffy Summers, she died. Like twice. And then there was another Slayer after she was revived and then that Slayer died and then there was Faith and-”

“STILES!” Lydia snapped, the teen freezing and sitting up perfectly straight. He could feel a cold tingle run down his spine from fear. Jackson snorted and Stiles just shot him a look. It earned another displeased look from the strawberry blonde that made him hold his tongue. Once she was sure that she had him reigned in again, she focused on her question. “So another one of you is born when the first dies?”

“Technically we’re already born, we’re just potentials. And that ended back in 2007 when Sunnydale became a crater.” Stiles started, twitching as he reigned in the tangent bursting to get out.

“How did it go from only one to suddenly multiples?”

“A spell.” Allison cut in, shooting Stiles a pointed look for him to keep his mouth shut. Probably for the best. He was liable to start rambling if he was given the chance. “Essentially, it unlocked every Potential’s powers and any girl born with the potential to be a Slayer would become one as well.”

“Uh.. I have a question.” Jackson muttered, raising his hand sarcastically before dropping it once he had everyone’s attention. “Aren’t Slayers women?”

“So far, yes. But-” Stiles started, stammering as Jackson spoke over his once more. Which, rude.

“So if Slayers are women, shouldn’t you be the Slayer and not Stilinski?” Jackson asked, looking to Allison. The brunette offered a sheepish smile and opened her mouth to respond, but was ignored. “Or does that mean Stiles is a chick?” He turned his focus to the doe eyed teen. “What? Do you have a horrible secret? What are you hiding in your pants? Do you even have a dic-”

“Jackson, if you wanted to get my pants off, all you had to do was ask.” Stiles stated with a sickly sweet smile. He even went as far as batting his eyelashes at the other teen. To the blond’s left, Danny snorted and covered it up with a cough.

Jackson scoffed and crossed his arms. “You wish, Stilinski. Look, I’m just saying, Allison looks like she could kick someone’s ass. You? The idea that you could even come off as threatening is a laugh! There’s no muscle to you! You look like a whiney little - FUCK!”

Faster than the blond could react, Stiles had shot out of his seat and grabbed him. He spun the larger teen around with one hand, sweeping a foot at his ankle to bring him down hard onto the ground. Once down, Stiles dropped down to straddle Jackson’s back, pinning the teen’s arms to his sides and keeping a hand on the back of the other’s head. Jackson grunted, struggling a bit as Stiles just rode each attempt to get him off, a bored look on his face. Finally having enough, Stiles lifted Jackson’s head and dropped it to the floor before pinning it down once more at the pained shout. 

“Stiles! What the hell!?” Allison yelped, getting to her feet with the other two teens not currently on the floor. Lydia stood, hands over her mouth in shock as she backed up away from Stiles and Jackson. Danny just looked at them with a look halfway between fear and - was that arousal?

“What? He pissed me off.” Stiles grunted, shifting his weight to sit back slightly and thus pinning Jackson more securely. Sighing, Allison slumped back into her chair and buried her face in her hands.

“My dad’s gonna kill me…” she muttered, the sound muffled.

Stiles ignored it and focused on the other three. “Look, the important things to know are that I’m a Slayer. I hunt demons, vampires, goblins, rogue witches, the likes. I keep Beacon Hills safe. And you guys can’t breathe a word of this to anyone. Capiche?”

“You expect me to just believe this?” Lydia laughed, shaking her head. “You’re insane.”

Sighing, Stiles closed his eyes for a second before shaking his head and looking to the young woman before him. “Lydia, that thing earlier? That tried to eat you? That was a vampire. They’re real. I’m real. I’m not insane. You. Can not. Breathe. A word. Understood?”

Lydia narrowed her eyes, setting her jaw and crossing her arms with a huff. “Fine.” She snipped out, shrugging her shoulders in a way that just made her agreement that much more barbed with attitude. 

“God, you’d make a terrifying vampire..”

Oops. Was that outloud?

The corner of Lydia’s lips quirked up and she looked almost pleased with that statement. Score one for Stilinski.

“So… Does Scott know about this?” Danny asked, almost hesitant to speak up, as if unsure of what he was talking about and afraid to sound silly.

Stiles’ eyes widened. “No!” He shouted, causing Danny to jump. “Uh- sorry. Scott doesn’t know. My dad doesn’t either. This can’t get back to them.”

“I am not helping you keep your dirty little secret- Ow!” Jackson yelped, wincing at the thumb pressed at the base of his neck.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Did that hurt?” Stiles asked innocently as he let up. Jackson just glared at him over his shoulder the best he could with as little movement he had. 

“Jack ass…”

“You’ll learn to love me.” Stiles hummed, patting the blond’s cheek before looking back to Danny. “Anyone that knows who I am is in danger. They’re in enough danger as is because they’re my family. Knowing about the Slayer thing would only put them in more danger. They can’t find out.”

Danny studied him for a short moment before nodding. “Ok.”

“Good… Glad we’re on the same page.” Stiles muttered seconds before the door opened and Chris Argent entered the house. The man paused and surveyed his living room for a moment before shaking his head.

“I don’t want to know.” He stated, adjusting the bags in his arms and making his way to the kitchen.

 

✝

 

“Come on, Stiles. Get up. I know it’s Saturday. It’s also passed eleven and I have to head into work.” John stated, knocking and shoving his son’s door open. The sight that greeted him was classic Stiles.

The teen was sprawled out on his bed at an awkward angle, his head dangling off the side and and arm stretched out passed his head. His face was buried in his shoulder, his mouth hanging open and legs spread eagle across the other half of the bed almost diagonally. His other arm was bent, hand resting on his stomach.

Yeah, this was definitely his son.

“Come on, Stiles. Your brother’s already up.” John stated again, stepping over and grabbing the teen’s foot and pulling.

“Noooooo~!” Stiles moaned pathetically. The teen rolled in his sleep, tangling the blankets around himself like a burrito, his free arm clawing at the bed in a weak attempt to keep him nested and comfortable.

“Stiles!” John grunted, exasperated now as he continued to pull his son from bed. Dear god, what had his life become?

“Noooooo~fivemoreminutesanumnumnummommmmfp….”

John paused, lifting a brow and looking at his son for a long moment. “What the hell do you call that?” He muttered, shaking his head and giving another tug. Stiles whined and grabbed the edge of his mattress with a death grip.

“Nooo~oooo~.....”

“Stiles! This is pathetic! You’re sixteen. It’s nearly noon. Get! Up!”

He gave one more tug and Stiles’ grip slipped. The teen hit the ground with a squawk, flailing as much as he could with his one free arm, the other trapped in his burrito of blankets. John just looked on in amusement, hands on his hips and a self satisfied smirk in place.

“Oh look. You’ve reached today’s larva stage…”

“Oh you’re not funny.” Stiles mumbled from where he was lying face down on the floor.

John just chuckled and used a foot to roll his son over. “I’m hilarious. Alright, my little graboid. Time to get up for the day. I have to get to work. I’m trusting you and Scott to not be out past curfew tonight. If you’re gone when I get home-”

“We’re grounded. I know the drill, dad.” Stiles muttered, watching his dad head towards the door. John just nodded and tossed a quick “love you” over his shoulder before heading out to work. Shaking his head, Stiles wiggled in his spot for a few moments. It accomplished little more than rocking side to side. Finally deciding he needed help, he dragged his knees closer to his chest, using them to push his chest forward. “Scott!” he called, continuing to inch his way towards his door. “SCOTTY!”

Foot steps thundered up the stairs and Stiles stilled, eyes widening. “Oh no…. Scott! Wait!”

His twin appeared in the doorway, gaze up and focused on the bed. He didn’t see the lump of blankets and teen on the floor, catching his foot on the other’s side. He let out a yelp as he went down, Stiles groaning.

“My ribs….”

“Dude… you make a great landing pad…”

“So glad to be of assistance… Hey, Scott?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you get off of me?”

“Oh! Sorry!”

 

✝

 

“So… would you say I have a chance with Allison?” Scott asked in the middle of their gaming session. Beside him, Stiles lined up a headshot, taking Scott out for yet another point in their game. “Hey!”

“You snooze, you loose.” Stiles muttered, smirking at his brother before reaching for his can of soda and pausing the game. “What about Allison, now?”

Scott scowled for a moment before shrugging. “Well… do you think I have a chance?”

“At what?” His twin asked, taking a drink and biting into his sandwich at his side. Oh did he love lazy weekends.

“If I asked her out this week.”

Stiles tried to inhale and swallow at once, choking for a moment before he managed to swallow his food and look at his brother wide eyed. “What?” He rasped out, eyes still watering.

Scott gave him a concerned look and reached over to pat his twin on the back. “Well, you know.. New school, new start. Might as well try and get a date before my reputation is completely ruined.”

“Why would your reputation be ruined?” Stiles muttered, turning fully to face his twin now. The shorter of the two shot him a look.

“I don’t know. Maybe because my twin decided to blow up another chemistry lab.”

Stiles took a moment to gape at his brother before throwing a pillow at him, reaching behind himself to the couch to grab it. Scott squawked and flailed a bit, falling to the side with a thump. Stiles just let him. 

“What was that for!?”

“For being a horrible brother.” Stiles deadpanned. Scott scoffed.

“ _You’re_ a horrible brother.” Scott shot back, taking the pillow and smacking Stiles with it in return. The teen just scowled and swatted at him. Scott just swatted back and before they knew it, they were slapping one another pathetically while turning their heads away so as not to get hit in the face.

“I hate you!”

“I hate you more!”

“Your face is ugly!”

“Your face is uglier!”

With a battle cry, Stiles launched himself at his twin and the two landed on the floor, flailing awkwardly and rolling around like turtles stuck on their shells. It continued a moment longer, Stiles and Scott trying to land a decent hit on the other before they finally started laughing. They laughed so hard they cried, the two rolling to rest against one another. By the time it died down to just giggles, Scott and Stiles were pillowed in a sea of cushions from the couch. The two ignored it for the time being, just soaking up the companionable silence and the last traces of their laughter. Still grinning, Stiles turned his head to face Scott.

“In all seriousness though… you like Allison?”

“She’s gorgeous… and she has this smile…” Scott sighed dreamily. Snorting, Stiles gently shoved Scott’s face to the side and got up.

“Yeah, yeah. I get it, Romeo.” He muttered, looking back towards the ceiling. Sighing, he considered it. “You won’t know till you’ve asked her out, Scott… But if I had to say anything, I’d say go for it. You’ve got those puppy eyes that no one can resist. Not even dad, and that man is a stone wall when it comes to being swayed.”

“Yeah, but what if-”

Stiles reached his far arm over and clapped a hand over Scott’s mouth. “Hush. You go in thinking like that and it won’t work. Think positive and you’ll get it…”

Scott thought it over a moment before nudging his twin. Stiles removed his hand and lifted a brow at him. Scott just smiled. “Thanks…”

“You’re welcome.”

 

✝

 

“Stiles!”

The teen jolted awake, head slipping from his hand and smacking into the table. He yelped, flailing back and grabbing his nose as he felt the sharp pain become a dull ache. “Ow~....”

Across the library table, Chris sighed and shook his head. “This is the almighty Slayer of Beacon Hills…” He muttered under his breath, staring hard at his charge. Why couldn’t he ever get the normal ones? Who did he piss off on the council or in a past life for this to happen. “The world is truly doomed…”

“You know, the only thing missing in that entire little rant of yours was a condescending british accent…” Stiles muttered, lifting his head and gingerly fingering around his nose with a small wince.

Chris just shook his head once more and slapped a book onto the table before the Slayer and jolting him back to focus on the now. “You’re getting slow.” He stated, ignoring the indignant squawk. “And lazy. This keeps up and I’m going to have to follow you around to get you to work out.”

“Oh god, please don’t.” Stiles groaned, letting his head fall to the table top once more. Chris just ignored him and picked up another book, flipping to a random page.

“What is the difference between vampirism and porphyria?” The Watcher asked, ignoring the grumbling coming from just across the room from him.

“I mean, I’m already a social outcast shoe in. What else do I need to do to add to it? Definitely not the school librarian following me around with a megaphone!”

“I asked you a question, Stiles. And you’re not a social outcast.”

“Oh I am. So very much a social outcast. My dad catches me with half this stuff he’ll think I’m in a cult!”

“You have four minutes before class and I’d like an answer before you go.” 

Stiles continued to rant, grabbing his bag and packing things up. “I mean, seriously, I have homework for school and then homework from you. And then there’s patrol. And chores at home. I have no time for a social life, and Scott’s been bugging me about being too busy to do any brotherly bonding. And I can’t tell him I have to balance my high school career with stabbing vampires nightly with pointed wooden objects.”

“I’m going to have to wait for training later today, to get an answer from you, aren’t I?” Chris sighed, lifting his gaze from the book and watching his Slayer head towards the doors to the library.

“Oh my god, Chris. Porphyria is a group of diseases that causes symptoms that mimic things similar to vampirism. Including an oversensitivity to sunlight. Vampirism is a state of soullessness that results from the creation of a demon via consuming tainted blood. Trying to tell the difference? Look for the one trying to rip someone's throat out with their teeth. I’ll see you after classes today.”

And with that, Stiles was gone. Through the door windows, Chris could see his retreating figure booking it down the hall and towards his next class.

“One of these days I’m going to find a way to get that child to focus…”

 

✝

 

The sound of trays being set down on the table drew Stiles attention, the teen pausing mid bite to look up and stare confused at the three teens joining him at the table. Lydia was the first to sit, setting her bag and purse down beside her chair. To her left, Jackson dropped into his chair and lounged like a cat, looking around the lunch room with a look of distaste. Danny, sweet as always, offered an actual smile in greeting and took the seat to Stiles’ right.

“Uh… hi, guys…?”

“Are you patrolling tonight?” Lydia asked, digging into her salad and fixing Stiles with a pointed look. Oh was he glad that Scott wasn’t there right now.

“I patrol every night.” Stiles muttered, looking the red head over for a moment before the other two, hoping for some kind of clue as to what was going on.

“Great. We’re coming with you.”

What.

“What.”

Lydia just gave him a look, clearly judging his intelligence at that moment. Stiles had the distinct feeling he was at risk of losing this argument, despite knowing that he was the smart one this time.

“We. Are coming. With you.” She repeated slower.

Sitting up straight, the Slayer shook his head quickly. “No. Nope. Not happening.”

“Uh, yes it is.” Lydia argued back, pursing her lips smugly.

“No.” Stiles repeated. “Absolutely not. You guys don’t even know the first thing about what you’re getting into. You’re not even close to being ready to-”

“We’re coming with you. End of discussion.” Lydia stated, tone final as she fixed Stiles with a look. There was no way she was budging and it was painfully obvious. Oh he was screwed if Argent found out. Which one, he wasn’t sure would be worse.

Speaking of, Allison chose that moment to show up and settle down in an open spot at the table. She took a moment to eye everyone up, the silence hanging awkwardly over the table. Stiles twitched uneasily under her brown gaze. Allison Argent may have that Disney Princess thing going for her, but she could stare down just about anyone regardless of their size.

“Alright.” She started, looking each individual in the eye, most looking away while Lydia met her gaze head on. “What’s going on? Why do you all look guilty?”

“Why ever would you think we’re up to something?” Lydia questioned, taking a bite of her carrot and smiling innocently at her friend. Allison’s eyes narrowed and she turned to look at Stiles. She knew she wouldn’t have to say anything, just stare at him until he crumbled.

Stiles just pulled a pained face and stuffed a handful of fries into his mouth and chewed angrily, glaring at the three that were the cause of it all. Sighing, Allison set her jaw and shook her head.

“You know I’m going to find out eventually. And when I do, it’s not gonna be pretty.”

“It’s nothing, Allison. Honestly, would I lie to you?” Lydia asked, lifting a brow and tilting her head to the side.

Allison just tilted her head with a disbelieving look. “Lydia, I know you. The answer to that is yes.”

Lydia just narrowed her eyes for a moment before shrugging it off and letting it go. There was always one or two she couldn’t win over. Didn’t mean she couldn’t roll with it and recover. Distraction and changing the subject it was. “Allison, what are you doing this weekend?” She asked instead, turning the focus to something else.

The brunette was taken off guard for a moment before she shrugged and started in on her food. “Nothing really? Why?”

“We need to go shopping for Homecoming.” She stated simply, popping a tomato in her mouth and chewing for a moment before continuing to talk. “I was thinking you could go with something silver and I could take a look at a pink? Or maybe not… Do you know who you’re going with yet?”

Allison just blinked, mouth open slightly as she let her mind catch up with the sudden change of topic. “Uh… no I don’t-”

“Well is there anyone you’re hoping will be asking you?” Danny asked, trying to give the girl a slight break. A subtle rouge bloomed over Allison’s cheeks.

“Um…” She glanced at Stiles and he just lifted a brow.

“Sweetie, I’d take you, but I’m gay.” He dead panned. Allison’s blush just darkened.

“No! Not you! It’s…”

“Scott?” Stiles asked, both brows shooting up to meet his hair line. She just nodded and the teen laughed once. “Oh this is beautiful!”

“You can’t tell him!” Allison begged, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and shaking him desperately.

Still laughing, Stiles set a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Alli, Scott’s been stressing out this entire week over whether you liked him or not. It’s been miserable listening to him wax poetic about your eyes and your Disney princess smile. Dude! He needs to know!”

“He…” A smile slipped into place and she shifted to face him more directly. “He really likes me?”

“Worships the ground you walk on.”

Allison’s grin only grew as she dropped her gaze shyly. “That’s… good. Good. I uh…. I’m gonna… go find Scott.” She stated, grabbing her bagged lunch and leaving.

Around the table, Stiles glanced at the others. Each sharing a look of confusion to some degree, Lydia least of all.

 

✝

 

Grunting as he shoved open the door, Stiles dropped his backpack to the floor of the entry way. He was tired and his entire body ached. He had good news though, thankfully. Making his way further into the house, he noted the lack of Scott’s sports bag and smirked to himself. Allison hadn’t shown at the training session today and her father had been both frustrated and confused by her absence. It all made sense now.

“Dad?” He called, heading towards the kitchen. It was silent for the moment, save for the shuffle of papers and frustrated muttering. Frowning, the teen crossed into the dining room first and found his father seated at the table, sorting through papers. A closer look revealed they were case files, photos scattered in among the clutter of papers and charts. Within the images visible, Stiles caught sight of half a woman’s body. Her torso was missing from the waist up.

It looked like it had been chewed off.

“Dad?” Stiles called again, this time gaining his father’s attention. The man jumped slightly, turning to face his son and sighing.

“Stiles… Where’s Scott?” John asked, running his hands over his face and scrubbing slightly as if to wake himself.

Stiles just watched him worriedly for a moment before shrugging. “I think he’s hanging out with a girl he met a few days ago. Think he likes her.” He stated, stepping closer. “What’re you working on?”

Frowning, John looked back to the files and dragged a manila folder over the photos, effectively hiding them from view. Stiles bit back his disappointment and made a mental note to find them later that night once his dad was in bed.

He wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

“A body was found in the preserve two nights ago.” John started, leaning back in his chair and sighing heavily once more. “We’re still looking for the other half and she’s still unidentified.”

“There’s no form of ID?” Stiles asked, taking a seat at the table and trying to take a peek at the photos once more. His father slapped his hand away.

“None as of yet. Stop. You know I can’t discuss cases with you.” He added, sending his son a pointed look. “Where were you so late after school today?”

Stiles snorted, leaning back in his chair. “What is this? An interrogation?” he joked, tilting his head. His dad just rolled his eyes and Stiles sighed. “I was at gymnastic tryouts.”

Immediately, his dad perked up. A small smile formed on the man’s face and he leaned closer to his son across the table. “You’re trying out for the team again?”

“I’m back on the team. Practices run a little later than normal, but I’ll get time between to work on homework in the library. Mr. Argent is the librarian there. His daughter’s in my class and they’ve been helping me get caught up on what I missed.” Stiles explained, glad he had an actual excuse to be at the school late. And for once he wasn’t making it up. He was just stretching the truth. The practices ran the same time as lacrosse did. Stiles just had to stay an extra hour or two work through training with Chris.

“That’s good. As long as you keep your grades up and you’re happy…” John paused here and studied his son closely. “You are happy… right?”

Stiles met his father’s gaze for a long moment before really thinking about it. Was he? Was he honestly happy with where he was? His life hadn’t been the happiest this last few years. His family had become broken and he and his brother had started arguing more. He’d drifted apart from his dad. But even then he could still see that slowly mending the more time they spent together. He’d been against the move, but now he wasn’t so sure.

“...Yeah, dad. Yeah I am.”

The tension in his father’s shoulders loosened and he nodded, eyes relieved. “Good. I’m glad.”

 

✝

 

Making his way through the preserve later that night, Stiles kept a close watch for anything suspicious. Behind him, he could hear Lydia stumbling along in her heels and cursing every time she misstepped. Jackson was close at her side, grumbling along with his girlfriend and likely scaring off anything Stiles would be looking for. So much for an eventful night of patrol. As long as they didn’t stumble into his dad’s search team for the other half of the body, they’d be golden.

He hoped.

“Is it normally this quiet when you patrol?” Danny’s voice asked from beside Stiles suddenly. The teen startled, Stiles snapping his head around to face the other. Beside him, Danny was smiling kindly and waiting patiently for an answer. “Sorry. You must have been focusing.”

“Y-yeah. Yeah that’s, I was focused on the trees. Sorry, what did you ask?”

Danny’s smile just widened a bit more, looking even more charming. “I was wondering if it’s normally this quiet during patrol.”

“Oh… uh, not always. It really depends on the day. And the noise level.” Stiles stated, adding the last part as he glanced over his shoulder at their two other reluctant companions. Hey, he’d told them it’d be best if he went alone. Had they listened? Nope.

Danny followed his gaze and chuckled. “I bet. Lydia’s a tough woman, but built for the outdoors, she’s not.”

“Well, she’s gonna have to get used to it if she keeps inviting herself along on these outings. Which she really shouldn’t. No offense, but it’s hard enough fighting the forces of darkness without having to babysit three people that don’t know what they’re doing.” Stiles stated, offering a sheepish smile in hopes of lessening the blow of the words.

Danny just laughed and nodded. “I get it. Really, I do. I’ll do what I can to help steer Lydia off the idea.”

Stiles smiled a bit more and nodded. “Thank you.”

They walked in silence a few more minutes before Danny shifted uneasily beside him. “So uh… what… What’re you doing Homecoming?”

Stiles glanced at him once more and shrugged. “Nothing really? I was just going to patrol like I do every night.”

“Well.. Can you take a night off?” Danny asked, tilting his head and continuing to walk beside. Stiles hesitated a moment before huffing out a soft laugh.

“I wish. I don’t honestly get the chance. Halloween is really the only night a year I don’t have to worry about something happening.”

“Why’s that?” Danny asked, brushing their shoulders together lightly. Stiles leaned into the touch a bit.

“It’s because it’s a time the spirits are able to actually traverse freely. For spirits to visit family. They’re able to be at peace. It’s like this unspoken agreement that the things that go bump in the night take a vacation that one night of the year.”

“What about Christmas? New Years?”

“Patrol soon as everyone’s asleep or described as taking a walk to enjoy the night air.” Stiles explained. It wasn’t so bad. His dad knew he enjoyed taking walks at night. It eased him and made him able to focus better when he was having trouble concentrating.

“Well, what about the Homecoming game and dance?” The question jolted Stiles from his reverie and he stopped, turning to look at Danny completely now.

“W-what?”

Danny stopped along side him and shrugged, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “I was… just wondering if maybe you’d like to go to the dance with me?”

Stiles glanced back where Lydia and Jackson were stopped just a bit behind them, Lydia fixing her shoe and Jackson acting as a balance for her. Returning his gaze to Danny, he crossed his arms slightly and stepped a bit closer. “You’re… asking me to be your date? To Homecoming?”

“Yeah.” The crooked grin was back. “Yeah I am. I was kinda hoping you’d wear my jersey that day too. Maybe come cheer me on during the game.” Danny looked so hopeful as he said it and Stiles could feel his heart melting at the sight.

Chris Argent would just have to suck it up for one night. After all, what could go wrong? It’d been quiet. And what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Grinning, Stiles nodded. “I’d love to.”

“Really? I mean- Great! That’s great! Amazing. I can… I’ll pick you up before the game? Or the dance? Or-”

Laughing softly, Stiles nudged his arm and stopped the ramble. “Relax, Danny. Before the dance is fine. I’ll see if I can carpool to the game with Lydia. I’m sure she’d love the company.”

“I’d love the company where?” Lydia asked, stepping over to them, looking between the two teens with narrowed eyes before a slow smirk formed. “Well, it looks like you’ll be joining Allison and I shopping this Saturday.”

Damn it.

 

✝

 

“Enjoy your little outing with your boyfriend?”

Stiles was going to have a damned heart attack if people kept sneaking up on him like this. Heart slowly settling from its erratic jump of fright, Stiles turned to glare at the leather wearing werewolf standing a few feet ahead of him. It was dark in the preserve, the light from the waning moon. Despite this, Stiles could still see the scowl painted on the Adonis like face of the lycanthrope. And the startling blue eyes.

“I did until you showed up. And he’s not my boyfriend.” Stiles replied, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms. The wolf snorted and Derek stepped closer and further into the moonlight streaming in between branches.

“Right. The fact that you two smell like you’re two steps from going at it has nothing to do with anything.”

“Oh bite me. What’re you doing out anyway? Don’t you have some young children terrorize? Babies to steal candy from?”

Derek was completely unamused. “You’re looking for what killed the girl the other night.”

“How did you-” Stiles started, frowning and taking a small step back. Derek just lifted a brow. It was probably for the best the others had finally gone home. The last thing he needed to deal with was running into the possible murderer of the girl while they were around.

“It was a full moon. Please tell me you’re not that incompetent.”

Stiles just set his jaw, gripping the hilt of a knife tighter, just incase the wolf lunged at him. Derek’s gaze drifted down to his hip and back up. “Was that a confession?”

“It’s a rogue. Laura and I picked up on it last night while we were out walking the territory perimeter. It’s not stable. We’re willing to help, but only if you want our help.” Derek explained. His tone remained flat while coming off as mildly annoyed. Normally, Stiles would have been entranced by the growl hidden in the words, but all he could think of was the damage the fangs in Derek’s mouth could do.

“Thanks. But I think I’m fine.”

Derek frowned and tilted his head a bit before shrugging. “You know where to find us when your father hits another dead end.” And with that he was gone.

Stiles just growled in frustration and shook his head. “So getting a bell for that mutt.”

 

✝

 

Sneaking back into his bedroom wasn’t so hard. Not since he started having his own room. But with Scott coming in regularly, it was hard to predict when his twin wouldn’t notice his absence. Which, as of late, was becoming an increasing worry of Stiles’.

He scaled the tree easily enough, easing his window open quietly and dropping inside. He even managed to close it and his blinds before turning around and nearly screaming as he came face to face with a frowning Scott. He could feel the sting of disappointment on the other teen the second he spotted him and knew this wasn’t going to go well.

“Sneaking in late at night again?” Scott greeted, raising a suspicious brow. Stiles could feel his heart sink. They were only just back on speaking terms. He didn’t want to lose that again. It was like losing a limb.

“Scott, it’s not-”

“What it looks like?” Scott interrupted, snorting and crossing his arms. “Right. I’m sure. Where the hell have you been the last few nights, Stiles? What? We move and you immediately fall back into your trouble making? Do you want dad to nearly lose his job and be asked to relocate again?”

“I’m not!” Stiles defended, feeling panic grip at him with cold hands. He could tell that Scott wasn’t buying it and so he went with the first thing that came to mind. Not always his best idea. “I’ve been hanging out with Danny!”

Scott stopped, blinking a few times before adopting that confused puppy look. Stiles waited quietly for a reaction, watching as a small smile bloomed on his twin’s face. “You’re… dating Danny?” He asked, almost excitedly.

“Uh- well, maybe? I mean he asked me to Homecoming and he wants me to wear his jersey and-”

He stopped as an ungodly screech left his twin and Scott lunged across the room and tackled him to the floor. Stiles let out a screech of his own, hitting the floor with a cringe.

A loud knocking on the door followed soon after. “Boys! Sleep!”

 

✝

 

“You’re out of shape still.” Chris Argent lectured, walking around the mat as Stiles landed flat on his back once more. They were in the basement of the Argent household, Allison off elsewhere for the time being. Stiles had a feeling she was off with Scott somewhere. He hoped they were having a fan-freaking tastic time. Cause he sure as hell wasn’t.

“Yeah, well, some of us aren’t gifted enough to be super freaky ninja old men like you.” Stiles groused, sitting up and groaning. “Aren’t Watchers supposed to be all stodgy and… British?”

“You keep saying that. Are you sure you’re not disappointed I’m not?”

“Whatever it takes for you to sleep at night, gramps. You just keep on believing it.” Stiles hummed, nodding from where he was still seated. He was not moving if he didn’t have to. His back radiated pain and he was dead on his feet.

Chris just rolled his eyes. “Alright. That’s enough for tonight. You still have patrol and I have something for you.”

Rubbing his lower back, Stiles tilted his head and slowly got to his feet. “A gift? Aww… you shouldn’t have.” He stated flatly. For all he knew it was probably something horrible and involved having to avoid getting his brains sucked out while figuring out how to kill it.

Chris nodded and beckoned the teen over to where he was pulling out a large case. He set it on the table, unlocking the latches and opening the lid. Inside was a crossbow, a set of bolts tipped in silver. The metal had an odd blueish purple sheen to it when the light caught it just right. It was mesmerising.

“Silver tipped in wolfsbane. It’ll help when you run into the wolf. Specially tonight.”

“Why tonight?” Stiles asked, his heart sinking into his stomach at the words. He had a horrible feeling about this.

“Because tonight, you’re going looking for the other half of the body.”

And that was how Stiles ended up walking through the preserve for the second night in a row. He had a feeling he’d be spending a lot more time out there than he wanted to if Chris Argent has his way. Which he likely would.

It was quiet, the few sounds of nightlife ringing softly in the background as Stiles made his way through the trees. The small bag of supplies was slung over one shoulder, the crossbow loaded and in hand, at the ready. If it weren’t for the impending doom, Stiles would have believed it to be a beautiful night.

His foot slipped and he slid down a small slope, coming to a stop a few feet below. Hissing at the slight pain of an aching ankle, Stiles stood once more and took stock of his surroundings. He could see a lump ahead of him, lying on the ground and not moving. It was shaped odd. Curiosity intrigued, he made his way closer only to bite back a startled yelp.

“Oh god! Jesus fuckin A Christ!” Biting a knuckle, Stiles turned away from the figure and squeezed his eyes shut. Slowly, he calmed before turning around to look at it once more. Or, more like her. “Well… Chris will be happy I found the other half of the body…” he muttered to himself, crouching down to examine what he could.

She was topless, lying face down with her blue eyes staring out wide and unseeing. Her blond hair was tangled, caked in mud and tangled with twigs and leaves. Her skin was covered in dirt. But it was the part where her torso ended that really did Stiles in. It had been gnawed on recently, maggots still grouped together on the flesh as they feasted. Her bones were exposed with teeth marks carved into them. Her organs were gone, most likely eaten by the rogue.

Sighing, Stiles dug out his phone and shot off a text to Chris with the coordinates, knowing he’d leave an anonymous tip with the cops once the sun was starting to come up. He got up once more, straightening completely and looking around.

It was silent.

The hair on the back of his neck began to stand on end and he spun, looking deep into the trees as far as his vision would allow in the dark night. He caught a glimpse of red, a low rumble reaching his ears. They stepped closer.

Stiles’ heart ratcheted up and suddenly he couldn’t do anything. The memory of a scream, the taste of blood, the sound of snapping bone, all flooded him at once. The eyes moved closer and before he knew it, Stiles was running blindly through the preserve. The burn in his lungs transferred to his legs as he ran, fighting to stay ahead of the tearing claws he could hear ripping up the earth behind him. He completely ignored the weapon on hand. All he knew was the need to get away. To flee. To survive.

He stumbled into a clearing, landing on the ground and ripping a hole in the knee of his jeans. Behind him it was quiet, the sounds of the preserve at night returning once more. He scrambled to sit up and looked wildly around.

He found nothing.

The eyes were gone. There wasn’t a single trace. Letting out a shaky sigh, Stiles turned to look behind him. Looming in the center of the clearing was the charred remains of a house. The blackened skeleton of someone’s home stood illuminated in the moonlight. It was haunting, a chilling reminder of something long passed. 

And Stiles found himself wondering just why it had warded off the sting of tooth and claw.


	3. Never Kill a Boy on a First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny asks Stiles out and Stiles attempts to have a normal date. Of course it gets ruined by a pack of blood thirsty vampires. And why the hell is Derek Hale stalking him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa... Ok, So let me apologize for how long this has taken me to get out. I've been busy as all hell and my focus is shot. First I moved, and then I started two jobs, quit the first, and then I had training and then my apprenticeship for the second job, an then holidays. Where I really didn't get as much of a chance as I'd hoped to write. I also had writer's block with one particular section for this chapter.
> 
> My schedule is erratic at the time being so I honestly don't know when I'll get the chance to write. But I'm going to aim for at least monthly updates starting around March or April. It all depends on what happens in March since I have a convention to plan and get ready for. But definitely by April I will be scheduling monthly updates.
> 
> This has not been abandoned! I've got my notes now too so things should go smoothly!
> 
> Also, I partially blame Dragon Age: Inquisition...
> 
> But yes! Here's the third chapter! And once again, I'm so sorry for the long ass time between updates. I work hard to give you quality writing, and a good length of close to 7000 words per chapter. I'm not going to publish something I'm not happy with, because you guys deserve the best I can give you.
> 
> Thanks for sticking around.

The rest of the house was dark save for the lone window. A dim light illuminated the single window, the shadow of a teen boy barely visible from behind the curtains. He removed a torn shirt, muffled cursing being heard to the sensitive ears of the lone figure standing outside just below the tree.

A car passed and the figure stepped discreetly behind the tree, the headlights reflecting blue off the irises.

**Sacrificial Lamb**

_Episode 3_

_Never Kill a Boy on a First Date_

“Is this a 24 hour Macy’s? Cause, seriously, this is a lot of dresses, Lydia.” Stiles muttered, carrying an armload of dresses for the young woman. Beside him, Allison trailed looking just as tired as Stiles felt. She, of course, hadn’t been out late on patrol and had to get up early for this endeavor. She’d gotten a full night’s sleep. Stiles, not so much.

“Oh hush. I just need to try these on and then we can head to the men’s department to find a suit for you that’ll match Danny’s.” Lydia tutted, rolling her eyes as she lead them to the nearest fitting room. Allison groaned. She’d found her dress a full hour ago while Lydia was still scrutinizing her selections. And true to Lydia’s predictions, she’d picked out a beautiful silver dress.

“Let’s just hurry. My feet are starting to hurt and we still need to find shoes.” Allison finally stated. Lydia scrutinized her for a moment before nodding.

“Of course. Stiles, bring my dresses.”

Stiles and Allison just shared a look. It was going to be a long day. Longer than they’d planned. With a defeated sigh, Stiles took her dresses into the dressing room for her and wandered back out to take a seat beside Allison. It was silent a good moment before finally, Allison spoke.

“I’m so glad I’m not the only roped into this sort of thing anymore. Specially now that you’re dating Danny.”

“We’re not- He asked me to be his date for the dance. That’s it.” Stiles defended, shifting uneasily in his seat. Allison just chuckled, a smirk forming.

“Oh sure. He also asked you to wear his jersey to school and for the game.” She countered knowingly.

Stiles sat up a bit straighter. “How did you-”

“Lydia.” Allison stated, as if that explained everything. And maybe it did. It was Lydia after all. The woman seemed to know everything. It was frightening to be honest, but Stiles knew better than to question it. She had her sources and he knew it was best not to question them.

“Right. Should have known. Regardless, that doesn’t mean we’re-”

“It means he wants to.” Allison interrupted, elbowing him lightly in the side. “It’s a good thing. Specially since you’re interested. Means you’re trying to have a life outside of everything.” They sat in silence a moment longer before Allison leaned her shoulder against his own, tilting her head closer to whisper conspiratorially. “And don’t worry. I won’t let my dad be a stick in the mud about it.”

A real smile formed and Stiles nudged her back playfully. “Thanks.”

 

✝

 

Scott was pacing nervously. A foot away, Stiles stood with his arms crossed, watching his twin pace along the span of their lockers. It was getting ridiculous the more he watched him. It was painful even. 

“Scott. Seriously, take a fuckin’ chill pill or I’ll force one down your throat.” Stiles finally muttered, fixing his twin with a pointed look. Scott paused in his pacing and stared at his brother.

“But… Allison’s-”

“Already agreed to go with you, you dork. Now settle down and stop pacing before you wear a hole in the floor.”

Scott managed a sheepish smile and relaxed against his locker once more. “Sorry. I’m just nervous.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

Stiles rolled his eyes and nudged him with an elbow. “I hadn’t noticed.” He stated dryly, shaking his head. “Seriously, I sometimes wonder how we’re related.”

“I just don’t want to screw this up-” Scott continued, Stiles rolling his eyes and leaning all of his weight against his locker. From the corner of his eye he could see a couple students waiting to get into the lockers below, but they could wait. The metal wall was currently keeping him upright.

“You’re not going to screw this up. Seriously, how can you screw up a hello?”

“Hey, Stiles.” Danny’s voice greeted from beside the teen. With a yelp, Stiles flailed. His hand met a nose and there was a small crunch followed by a gasp and groan.

“Oh! Oh my god! Danny! I’m so sorry!” Stiles stated, turning to the wounded teen and gently cupping the other’s face. “Oh god! I’m so so sorry!”

“It’s fine- Stiles, it’s fine.” Danny soothed, setting his hands on Stiles’ shoulders. “It’s ok. Just… a little broken. I think.” He scrunched his nose up and hissed, grimacing.

“Oh god, I’ve broken you.” Stiles babbled, still doing the frantic mother hen routine. Scott just stood to the side and watched on in amusement. And Stiles thought he was bad.

Danny managed a smile and caught Stiles’ left hand. The teen stopped his flailing and blinked. “Stiles. Really, it’s fine. Relax, ok?”

Slowly, Stiles calmed and nodded, offering a smile of his own. “Ok…”

“Oh my god you two are adorable.” Allison’s voice chimed, a wide grin in place as she walked up along side Lydia Martin. The two girls had their arms linked together, book bags over their shoulders. They real sight for eyes, drawing attention wherever they wandered together, two friends capable of ruling the world, if one were to ask Stiles. Which few ever did. Then again, he’d tell a person. They’d just likely ignore him. Which usually ended badly for everyone.

Go figure.

“Allison! Good morning!” Scott chirped, grinning from ear to ear. The girl shot him a wide smile, pulling away from Lydia to talk to Stiles’ twin. Lydia just smirked and turned to Stiles and Danny.

“Well don’t you two make quite the sight. All cozy.” She stated, tilting her head a bit. As she looked them over, Stiles got the distinct feeling he was being assessed, as if Lydia were looking over two prime cuts of meat. Once more he found himself thankful she wasn’t a vampire.

“Lydia.” Danny muttered, nudging her fondly with an elbow. He turned back to Stiles before digging in his bag and pulling out a white jersey with maroon lettering and details. Holding it out, the teen offered it almost shyly to Stiles. “Here… to wear on Friday. During the big game.”

Taking the jersey, Stiles held it close and nodded. “Of course.” He could see Danny’s jersey number emblazoned on one side and it sent a warm feeling through the teen’s chest. “I’ll make sure to do that.”

Danny’s smile widened. “Great.”

“Come on, love birds. Time for class.” Lydia stated, grabbing Stiles by the arm and beginning to drag him in the direction of their first class.

 

✝

 

“Where are you going?” Scott asked later that night, looking up from his show and turning to face his brother. On the screen, two brothers were arguing with some scrawny author named Chuck. Stiles ignored it.

“I’m heading out for a walk. I need a break from all my studying.” He said instead. Scott fixed Stiles with a look, almost giving him the stink eye as he observed his twin. Slowly, a knowing smirk formed.

“Sure.” Scott hummed, nodding. “Don’t be out too late.”

“You know I won’t, Scott.” Stiles muttered, shaking his head and making his way towards the door. He shrugged on his jacket, grabbing his house keys as well. Hopefully he wouldn’t need them and Scott would still be up when he got home.

“Of course. Have fun with Danny!” Scott called at the last second, causing Stiles to trip out the door and nearly fall down their porch steps. He turned to glare at the door before huffing and turning to head back down the street. He could get back at his brother at another time. For now, he had patrol and revenge to plot.

The streets were calm as Stiles was beginning to find was the norm. It still unsettled him in a way he couldn’t quite describe. It only ramped up his guard and made him hyper aware of his surroundings. After the previous night with the close call, his hand rested on the silver dagger in his pocket. 

He could hear the crickets chirping in the chill night air. A cat shifted in the bushes under a house’s windowsill not far off from where he was. He ignored it, pausing as he heard a soft tap of a shoe. Not boots. They weren’t heavy enough. Maybe a sneaker?

Slowly, he turned.

“Derek Hale. To what do I owe this visit?” Stiles asked, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempting to look intimidating. He wasn’t sure if it worked or not.

“I was taking a walk.” Derek replied, shrugging one leather clad shoulder.

Stiles lifted a brow. “A walk. Right.”

“Is that suddenly illegal?” The wolf shot back, taking a step forward and closer to the teen. Stiles narrowed his eyes and held his ground. There was no way he was backing down to another one of these beasts.

“That depends. Chased anyone through the preserve recently?” His hands slipped down to his pockets and he traced his fingers along the heavy grip of the blade he had hidden.

“If you think I can’t smell the wolfsbane you have hidden on you-”

“I wasn’t really so delusional to think you wouldn’t. Consider it the only warning you’ll get from me.”

Derek paused here, dipping his head down a bit to look at Stiles through his brows. It was incredibly intimidating, making the man look even more wolf like as he zeroed his entire focus on the teen before him.

“I’m not the enemy here. We want the same thing, you and I.”

A scoff. “And what’s that, exactly?”

“The rogue dead.”

Liquid amber narrowed, calculating, challenging. 

“And what then? What happens once the rogue alpha’s out of the picture?” Stiles asked, tilting his head up a bit, looking at Derek down the line of his nose.

The wolf didn’t budge from where he was stood. He just seemed to size Stiles up, starting at his feet and slowly working his way up. His eyes flashed blue. “That’s entirely up to you.” Derek finally stated, his voice ruining the heavy silence that had settled over the street around them. He straightened up and took a step back, moving to turn away. “I suggest you act soon, Slayer. Time’s running out before someone else winds up dead.”

Stiles frowned, glancing towards the moon once to see that it was only half full. By the time he’d looked back, Derek was gone and he was alone once more.

“Asswaffle…”

 

✝

 

Stiles felt like he was dragging his feet through the day as he stumbled his way down the stairs to gym class. He’d been tired ever since getting home the previous night. The talk he’d had with Derek had unsettled him in more ways than he wanted to admit. Not to mention he still had all that homework he’d had to do before even thinking of bed.

Ahead of him, Stiles could hear Scott and Danny talking, a silent Jackson standing beside his animated friend. Scott was laughing at something Danny had said and Stiles could feel some of the tension bleeding from his shoulders. If there was one thing that flawlessly got him to relax, it was a happy Scott. The guy was infectious.

He slipped passed them with a quick wave and changed, coming out once more to greet them properly. Danny grinned widely at seeing him and stepped closer to the teen once he was close.

“Hey. You look tired.” Danny greeted, his smile softening a bit around the edges, worried.

Stiles just waved it off with a relaxed bump of the shoulders. “Late night catching up with things.”

“Oh come on, Stiles. We all know you were with Danny last night.” Scott muttered, rolling his eyes.

Jackson looked confused for a moment, but Stiles shot him a look, Danny catching on quickly. “Guess that means he knows then. Which I guess that means it’s ok to show it.” Danny sighed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Stiles’ cheek. It caught him off guard, Stiles gaping and turning a lovely red color in front of the entire class. Danny just winked at him.

“Alright! That’s enough! Laps! Three times around the gym! let’s go!”

Oh great. Finstock was subbing for Phys. Ed. again. That man was deeply disturbed in Stiles’ opinion, but no one ever really listened to him so he kept his mouth shut for once and fell in with the rest of the students. He stumbled a few times in the run, Danny shooting him flirty looks and other students making comments about the two of them. Stiles was already awkward enough. Adding in flirting and sudden attention, he was like a baby bird out of the nest for the first time. By the end of the run, he not only felt half dead, but he could feel whatever dignity he had cracking. It shattered when Jackson opened his mouth.

“Jeez, Stilinski, ever learn to run?” He was laughing, the jerk. It was the smug look on the bastards face that sparked a bit of fire in Stiles once more and he straightened up. “No wonder you avoid sports. How you’re still alive beats me.”

“I avoid sports because I get enough of a workout on patrols.” Stiles grumbled, sending a glare in the direction of the other teen. Beside him, Danny snorted right as Scott showed up. The twin turned to his brother and rolled his eyes.

“Making friends, Stiles?”

“Always.” Stiles replied flippantly, waving off the comment.

“Uh-huh. Come on, Finstock is flagging everyone down.” Danny laughed, gently clapping Scott on the back. He calmly looped an arm around Stiles’ shoulders and guided him towards the rest of the class. And just his luck it would be a day of dodgeball. 

The game was brutal on a good day and with normal people playing. Add Stiles to the mix and a deeply competitive Jackson, and it ended with both of them in the nurse’s office.

Jackson was lying back on one of the beds, nursing a forming black eye while Stiles stood off to the side sheepishly, arms crossed as the nurse lectured him. The woman was rather terrifying, despite being short and stocky. She had a glare that certainly made Stiles feel like he wanted to curl into a ball and hide. He, sadly, did not have that option.

“I swear! That game should be outlawed! Everytime someone suggests it, I end up having at least one child in my office bleeding or knocked out with a concussion! You, Mr. Stilinski, should be lucky Mr. Whittemore has supported your ‘ducked into it’ story!”

“Yes, ma’am.” Stiles muttered, wincing at the look he was given for even daring to speak.

“I don’t ever want to see either of you in here again for this.” She stated finally and left the room to start the needed paperwork and likely file a complaint against Finstock.

From the bed, Jackson groaned and Stiles stepped over to him.

“This is payback for the running comments isn’t it?” Jackson slurred, still slightly out of it. Stiles just snorted and shook his head.

“If that’s how you want to look at it, sure.”

“I take back everything I ever said about you throwing like a girl last week…” Jackson continued.

“Sure, buddy.” Stiles muttered, gently patting his shoulder and earning himself a pained groan from Jackson. He winced and pulled his hand away quickly, glancing at the nurse’s side office to make sure she wasn’t about to come out and murder him for “touching her patient”. The woman was the thing of nightmares.

“Hey, Stiles…?”

“Yeah?” He drew his attention back to the confused teen beside him, tilting his head a bit.

Jackson smacked his lips a few times as he gathered the energy to speak. “I’m glad you’re giving Danny a chance… he really does like you….”

Something clenched painfully in Stiles’ chest while his gut churned uneasily. He could only hope things went well. He didn’t date for a reason. Danny would be the first deviance he’d had since he’d discovered who he really was.

And it terrified him.

 

✝

 

“Mother fucker!” Stiles snapped, tripping and going rolling down the hill. He could hear small branches snap under him. Somewhere ahead of him, Lydia shrieked in surprise. He stopped suddenly as he collided ribs first with a tree. Something snapped, and he really didn’t want to think of what it was. The treacherous part of his mind whispered it was the sound of a rib snapping.

Hurried footsteps and feet sliding alerted Stiles to the quick approach of his companions for this outing. It was only a matter of seconds before Lydia and Allison appeared above him, his world still spinning a bit. For once, Lydia looked a little worse for wear. Her hair was a frizzy mess and dirt was streaked across her cheek. Allison, in comparison, was a complete mess with twigs and leaves sticking out from the rats mess it had become.

“Stiles! Are you alright!?” Allison asked, eyes wide, reflecting Lydia’s own fear.

Slowly, Stiles sat up and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah… I’m good. Just lost my footing.” Oh yeah. He could feel that rib now. And from the look on Lydia’s face, he hadn’t hidden it as successfully as he thought he had. “Glad you came along now?”

“I swear, Stiles, you are going to be the death of me!” Lydia snapped, punching him in the shoulder. “First we’re being chased through the preserve and the next you’re rolling down a hill and making jokes like it’s nothing!”

Oh yeah. He’d forgotten about the vampires he was supposed to be taking out.

Oops.

“Did you see which way they went?” He asked, getting to his feet and looking around. He caught a look at himself and groaned. “Great. I liked that shirt.”

“They took off before we could get a good track on them.” Allison sighed, letting her crossbow come to rest at her side. The three of them shifted around and studied their surroundings for a moment.

“It’s getting too dark for us to see.”

“For the girls maybe. You. You can see perfectly fine.” A fourth voice stated. Biting back another mutter of annoyance, Stiles turned and faced the werewolf he was beginning to expect on his nightly outings.

“Don’t you have someone better to stalk?”

Derek smirked slightly, lifting a brow almost smugly. “Can’t help it if you keep hunting on my land.”

“Um, who is this?” Lydia asked, her tone clipped. Allison frowned, shifting her weight slightly.

“Derek Hale.”

“Argent. Allison, I’m guessing? We haven’t been properly introduced. From what I’ve heard your father is the Slayer’s new Watcher?” Derek asked, tilting his head up enough to look at her down the line of his nose. This time, Stiles did mutter a curse under his breath.

“The Slayer is right here, flea bag. What do you want?”

Derek turned his attention back to the male teen. His eyes flashed blue for the briefest second as the moonlight hit them just right. It sent a chill along Stiles’ spine along with a heated spike of arousal he viciously stamped down.

“Those vampires you were hunting scattered. Caught a scent they didn’t like.”

“Yours?” Stiles shot back before he could stop himself. The look he earned in return was enough to make him pause and take a small step back.

“The rogue.” Derek stated flatly, clearly unamused with the teen’s sense of humor. “He’s been trying to mark territory for himself the last few nights. You were in it until you rolled down the hill. Lucky for you, you’re back on Hale land.”

Stiles just groaned, and shook his head. “Werewolves and territory. I swear, you’re worse than wild animals.”

The wolf’s eyes did flash blue this time, fangs bared. Allison took a few quick steps back and Lydia followed her lead, staying behind Allison. Stiles just glared in return.

“I’m not scared of you, wolf.”

“You should be. And you should be more concerned about the rogue wandering around your town.” Derek snarled. He took a step back to leave, not taking his gaze off of Stiles. His glare disappeared and he offered up a cold smirk instead. “Good night, Slayer. Be safe walking home.”

The three were silent until Derek was gone from sight, Lydia turning to face Stiles. “What the hell was that?”

“A wild animal waiting to be put down.” Stiles muttered, turning back to the two and pocketing his stake. “Let’s call it a night.” Allison gave him a skeptical look before nodding and leading the way back to their cars.

 

✝

 

“So… you were out late again.” Scott started on their ride to school the next morning. It was Friday, the day of the big game. Sitting behind the wheel, Stiles shrugged, biting back a yawn. 

“Lydia and Allison kept me later than planned. Apparently I have to do more than just put on a suit and look nice.” He muttered. Scott lifted a brow, almost afraid.

“Seriously?”

“Yup. Be afraid, Scotty. Be very afraid. Girls are crazy, dude.” Stiles stated as he parked the jeep. Honestly. he’d been out late limping his way home after making sure Lydia and Allison had gotten home safely. He’d then proceeded to stay up most the night trying to wrap his ribs and not panic about how close he’d come to being mauled. He needed to talk to Chris and he needed to do it before classes began.

“Are you serious?” Scott asked, getting out of the jeep alongside his twin and making his way into the school.

“As a heart attack.” Stiles deadpanned. He spotted the group gathered at their lockers, noting Danny’s attention drawing to him almost immediately. He sighed and forced a smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Danny greeted, wrapping an arm around him and kissing his cheek. Stiles let him for a second before pulling back. “Stiles?”

“I gotta run to the library.” He stated, giving them a pointed look. Danny caught on seconds after Lydia and Allison did. Scott and Jackson just looked mildly confused.

“Right. I’ll see you at lunch?” Danny asked, tilting his head a bit.

Stiles offered a real smile and nodded. “Definitely. I’ll catch you guys later.” He added before hurrying down the hall.

Luckily for him, Chris was in his office and alone. He made his way inside and shut the door behind himself without so much as a hello.

“Stiles?”

“Ok, so the strangest thing happened last night. I was tracking a group of vampires, you know, the ones you sent Allison and I after, and I trip. Go rolling down a hill. And when Allison gets to me, they’re gone. All trace of them vanished and not a chance we could tracked them down. But what happens? Derek freaking Hale shows up and threatens me. Bares his teeth and flashes his eyes, telling me to get started on that rogue werewolf situation. Which, yeah I planned on it, but what the hell!?”

Chris just blinked, taking a moment to let the word babble sink in as he stared at the flailing teen. How did he get stuck with this particular Slayer as his charge? What did he do in a past life to deserve this? Who did he piss off for this punishment- wait.

“He threatened you?”

“Well…” Stiles started, shrugging and floundering for a second. “I may or may not have called him a fleabag and… been not so pleasant.”

“Are you trying to get yourself killed!?”

“Hey! If he attacks me then I can rid the world of one more monster!”

Sighing heavily, Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have known this would be an issue. “Stiles, not all werewolves are evil. They’re people-”

“I’m pretty sure I have first hand experience that says otherwise-”

“”What happened to Claudia was a horrible accident involving a rogue werewolf. He was feral. Your Watcher was killed by a beast, yes, but a beast beyond human reason. Most werewolves have control.”

Stiles snapped his jaw shut, glaring at the man before him. He could hear the sense in his words, but he could only feel the boiling haten under his skin as he thought of that night. How he’d screamed himself hoarse trying to get help.

“You need to stop antagonizing someone that is not a current threat and focus on what is. Vampires. And this rogue werewolf he keeps talking about.”

Sighing, Stiles nodded, dropping into a chair. “Fine. What do we do?”

“We’re careful. We start marking things, watching for signs. We start tracking it.” Chris stated, getting up and going around to a bookshelf. “I’ll look up what I can and see what I can come up with. Maybe there’s something in here that will help.”

“Am I patrolling tonight?” Stiles asked, shifting a bit in his chair. Chris paused and eyed the teen for a moment before shaking his head.

“go to the dance and game. You can patrol from there. I’m sure nothing will happen seeing as the full moon is still a ways off and, as you said, the vampires fled. Take a night to be a teenager.”

Stiles’ shoulders slumped in releif and he stood. “Thanks, Chris.” He stated, smiling and making for the door.

“Oh and, Stiles? You’ll be getting an early start tomorrow night.”

The teen paused and turned to give him a withering look before sighing and nodding. In seconds he was gone. Chris was left staring at the spot Stiles had been. He was worried about him. He knew Stiles had a large heart. But his bitterness towards werewolves was enough to concern Chris. It was either a perfectly crafted shield of protection, or a weakness that could end in the death of a young man.

 

✝

 

Grunting, Stiles made his way further into the crowd, following the glowing fire of Lydia’s hair as she carved a way through the crowd. Behind him, Allison was gripping tight to his shirt and following the red head’s lead as well. The stands were packed, their home side splattered with maroon and white. Across the way, green and gold flashed as the crowd cheered for their players spilling out onto the field.

“Who knew Lacrosse was so popular here.” Stiles muttered, settling into a spot in the front row, right behind the benches for their players. He hadn’t a clue what Lydia had done to get them these spots, but he wasn’t stupid enough to ask.

“It’s the big sport here. Our football team sucks. We don’t even talk about our basketball team. It’s all Lacrosse. Followed closely by swimming.” Lydia explained, unrolling a large poster she’d made that boasted “Whittemore’s #1!” Stiles shared a look with Allison before they turned their focus to the field where their team was now coming out. Immediately, Stiles sought out Danny, smiling when he found the teen in question. He got a wave from the player, returning the gesture. His smile widened and he burrowed a little deeper into the jersey he was wearing. 

“You two are adorable.” Allison muttered, gently nudging Stiles in the side. She was careful of his broken ribs, but still earning a small wince from the teen. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault. I kind of did it to myself by being a klutz.”

Lydia snorted beside him, the sound surprisingly unladylike for her. Then again, Stiles was finding that she was an enigma and constantly surprising him at every turn. “Stiles, an amazing fighter you may be, but you’re as graceful as a newborn gazelle when you’re not fighting for your life.”

“Gee. Thanks, Lyds. I can feel the love.”

“Hush. The game’s starting.”

It was easy to see why this game was the sport of choice in Beacon Hills. It was brutal and fast paced. Stiles found himself biting his nails, a few times. But the second they scored the final goal in the game, the stands erupted into cheers. There was a flood out onto the field that Stiles found himself part of, easily finding Danny in the crowd beside his brother. He hurried over, wrapping his arms about both of their shoulders.

“Beautifully played, gentlemen.” He greeted, grinning wider and ignoring the slight ache in his ribs. He was too elated to care or notice.

“Glad you enjoyed the game. Think you’re a fan now?” Danny asked, tilting his head a bit.

Stiles chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. I might just be.”

Scott groaned and shook his head, pulling away. “Oh god. Please, get a room.” He muttered, turning and brightening. “Allison!”

“He says we’re bad.” Stiles muttered. Danny just laughed, pulling Stiles a bit closer to him. Lydia slipped up to them, Allison hot on her heels.

“Congratulations, Danny. But we need to steal Stiles so we can make sure he looks presentable for the dance tonight. Come along.”

Stiles let out a futile squawk of protest as he was pulled away by a death grip. He waved weakly at Danny as the goalie watched them go, bewildered.

“She’s a force to be feared…” Jackson stated, making his way to Danny with Scott.

Danny turned his gaze to his friend. “I love you, man. But your girlfriend terrifies me.”

 

✝

 

“I can’t believe they used the same decorations from three years ago.” Lydia muttered, looking around the dance with an expression of disdain. Jackson just rolled his eyes and stood, offering a hand.

“Will a dance distract you enough from this horror?” He asked, tone flat despite the small curl of a smile at his lips. She eyed his hand for a moment before sighing heavily and slipping her own into his.

“Fine.” She stated, standing and following him to the dance floor.

“I will never understand those two.” Scott muttered, watching them leave. Beside him, Danny just laughed.

He turned to the teen. “No one understands those two. The only thing everyone can agree on is that they’re the school’s power couple.”

Scott made a face, shaking his head. “Well that’s gonna change now that Allie and I here are making public appearances.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that. We’ll never hear the end of it.” Allison muttered, kissing Scott’s cheek and causing the boy to turn scarlet.

Stiles was ignoring the banter for the most part. He was too busy enjoying the fact that he wasn’t out on patrol for once. Not to mention having Danny at his side was comforting. More than he honestly thought it ever could be. He peaked a glance at the teen in question and caught his gaze, offering a small smile in return. It was a moment before Danny got to his feet and offered a hand.

“Would you like to dance?”

Stiles hesitated, panicking slightly. “I-I don’t dance- more like can’t-”

“I’m sure you can’t be that bad.” Danny coaxed, taking Stiles’ hands and gently pulling him to his feet. Stiles tossed one last glance at Scott, getting a cheerful wave in response as he was walked towards the dance floor.

“Have fun~!”

Stiles just blushes and let himself be lead, settling his hands on Danny’s shoulders and the other’s hands settled on his hips. “I’m so sorry in advance if I step on your feet.”

“Stiles.. relax. I won’t mind if you do.”

Danny was way too sweet a guy for this. He was going to scare the guy off and- oh this was going to go so well. He was about to make a fool of himself. It was at that thought, Stiles let out a weak laugh.

“You say that now.”

Danny just playfully rolled his eyes and guided Stiles through the steps. He only suffered a few moments of foot stepping before Stiles figured out how to move. He relaxed a bit, leaning closer into the hold and meeting Danny’s gaze instead of watching his feet.

“This is nice.” He stated softly.

Danny smiled and nodded. “Yeah it is… Stiles… you’re-...”

Was he leaning in? Stiles really wanted him to be leaning in.

“Yes?” 

Oh he was definitely leaning in.

“Stunning.” Danny finished, leaning in closer. Stiles’ blush darkened and he leaned in a bit as well, their lips just a breath apart.

“Danny…”

He was expecting it and it was still a surprise when their lips touched. Stiles’ eyes shuttered closed and he pressed closer into the kiss. It was warm and soft, with a hint of mint to it. It was everything Stiles had hoped for and-

Nothing.

Abruptly, they pulled apart and looked at one another, blinking a few times. Awkwardly, Stiles shifted on his feet.

“Was that-”

“Kinda like kissing your brother?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah…”

There was a beat of silence as they both looked awkwardly to the sides and back to one another. Their arms dropped and they took a small step back.

“We should-” Danny started, nodding towards the chairs the rest of their group had taken as their own. Stiles nodded quickly.

“Yeah! Totally! Let’s not-”

“Speak about this? Ever?”

“You read my mind.”

They quickly made their way back to the others, taking sets on opposite sides of Allison and Scott. The couple pulled out of their liplock to stare at them. Scott shifted a bit closer to Stiles.

“Did I miss something?”

“Not talking about it, Scott. So not talking about it.” Stiles stated, maybe a little bit more loudly than he needed to, but it got his point across. He turned his attention to the dancing teens, watching as they swayed and bobbed with the music. It was only five minutes later that he noticed something stirring the crowd.

He frowned and shifted a bit forward in his seat. That was when he saw it. A flash of fang and then a scream. It only took seconds for panic to break out as students began screaming and running towards the exits. A flash of red and Stiles was on his feet.

“Stiles!” Scott called, stepping after him. His twin spun around and grabbed Scott’s arms. 

“No! Get Allison and help get people out!”

“But-!”

“GO! Call dad!” He added, before pushing into the crowd, going against the flow. Scott stared after him helplessly before sighing and taking Allison’s hand.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here and then we can call the police.” He stated, ushering her and Danny outside. Lydia and Jackson were at their sides in seconds as Scott pulled out his phone.

“Where’s Stiles?” Lydia asked, looking between the three.

Danny sighed and nodded back towards the school. “Inside.”

 

✝

 

The last of the students fled from the doors as Stiles stood in the center of the dancefloor. The room was eerily dark despite the low rumbles he could hear coming from the shadows. His grip tightened on the wooden stake. Never had he been so glad his paranoia had come in handy.

“Come out come out wherever you are~...” He sang, slowly turning in a small circle. He kept his eyes trained on the shadows just beyond the dancefloor. 

A high pitched giggle echoed around the still room and movement flashed quickly in his peripheral vision.

“Seriously, this is kinda over done don’t you think?” Stiles muttered, throwing his arms out to the side dramatically. “I’m tired. I’m sick of this outfit. And I just found out that I was lied to about what first kisses are like. So if we could just-”

Something slammed into Stiles from the back and he stumbled, hitting the ground and rolling to the side. He winced and sat up, taking in his attacker to find himself surrounded. Five vampires stood over him, staring at him like he was a slab of meat. 

“Fan-fucking-tastic.” Stiles groaned, slowly getting to his feet. “Guess this makes it easier for me. I get to make this quick and then I can go home and take a nice, hot ba- Fuck.” He muttered, shoulders slumping as he groped around in his pockets for a stake.

Nothing.

The vampires seemed to catch on, their grins widening as they took a collective step closer. 

“Oh, seriously? How cliché can you guys get!?”

“Stiles! Get down!”

On reflex, the teen dropped to his knees as something launched over him and through the ring of vamps. There was a sickening crunch as bones snapped against the floor. He lifted his head and found Derek Hale, of all people, ripping the throat from one of his attackers. He slapped a hand at something on the floor, sending it skidding towards Stiles. It only took a second for him to realise what it was.

Grabbing the stake from the floor, Stiles kicked off the ground and turned to the vampire closest to him. He lashed out, stabbing the wood through the ribs and dusting it before he pivoted and kicked the third in the chest. To his left, Derek was taking out the fourth. The resounding snap and squelch as skin was punctured sounded before the all too familiar sound of a second dusting.

He’d leave the fifth to Derek, focusing on the fourth before him. The vamp was easily twice Stiles’ height and five times as ugly as Finstocks jock strap. He lashed out with a fist, aiming his punch at Stiles’ head. The teen ducked and swept his leg out at the vamp’s. He went down with a thud and grunt, Stiles pinning him down and dusting him just as the sound of the fifth dusting echoed behind him.

It was dead silent for a long moment as Stiles slowly got to his feet, his ribs screaming at him and his breathing slightly more labored than normal.

“You should wrap those better.” Derek stated, his foot steps echoing as he approached the teen.

Stiles just frowned and turned to face him. “Something I can help with?”

Derek lifted a brow, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. He looked too smug for Stiles’ liking.

“Well from where I’m standing it looked like you could use a hand.”

“Then find somewhere else to stand.” Stiles snapped, dusting himself off and sighing. Well there went the deposit on the suit. Lydia was going to kill him. Just as soon as he stopped feeling like he was going to be sick.

“You alright?” Derek asked, stepping closer.

“I’m fine!” Sighing, Stiles bit down on his anger. “I’m fine. Just the ribs…” he repeated a bit more calmly. He could at least be civil. The guy had helped him out after all.

Even if he hadn’t needed it.

“Thanks…”

“Wouldn’t be good if the Slayer died before he could really prove himself, now would it?” Derek hummed, shrugging a shoulder and turning to leave. “Your father’s outside. I suggest you hurry before he realises you’re missing.”

There was a yelp and Stiles skittered from the gymnasium. Chuckling to himself, Derek shook his head and continued out the back way, making sure to keep hidden until he reached the tree line. From a distance, he could pick out the figure of Stiles standing with his brother and father, being lectured and looking indignant through it all.

“You’re getting too attached to him, Derek.”

The wolf turned, eyes flashing blue as he met the red of his sister’s. Again, he shrugged. “Someone’s gotta look out for the kid.”

“This isn’t just misplaced guilt for what he’s done, is it?”

“No.”

Laura narrowed her eyes, tilting her head a bit and studying him closer. “Then what?” 

“Call it a future investment… towards our survival.”

She sighed and turned to go, knowing he’d follow. “Just don’t get in too deep. I’m not losing you too.”

“I won’t, Laura. I promise.” He stated, following behind, completely unaware of the set of blood red eyes trained on them. They didn’t move until the wolves were out of view, turning finally to settle on Stiles, the teen pouting in the back of his dad’s cruiser.

Softly, a sickly growl rumbled from the shadows.

“Slayer…”


End file.
